Falling Away
by tehsecretardor
Summary: Haru, a cheerful high school student with a heart of gold. Musica, a gang member with a mission. Let and Julia, two college students with some big secrets. And the young girl that brought them all together, irreversibly. -Haru/Elie/Lucia, AU- COMPLETED.
1. Chapter 1: Meeting Elie, Part I

Falling Away

Summary: Haru, a cheerful high school student with a heart of gold. Musica, a gang member with a mission. Let and Julia, two college students with some big secrets. And the young girl that brought them all together, irreversibly.

~x~

Author's Note: Yes, this might seem REALLY familiar if you read this the first time it came around. Same author, different account. Oh, by the way, I'm done with the Oneshots for a bit - now I'll focus on the other three stories I have! Mwuhahah.

~x~

**Chapter One: Meeting Elie, Part I**

"Haru, get back inside!" Cattleya screamed out the door, watching as her younger brother ran down the road. "You'll catch a chill!" She called, slamming the door behind her and returning to her group of friends.

Haru was running in the rain, without a coat on, towards the beach, as he had every day since his Mom had told him that his Daddy was away, and could come home at any time. It was a child's hope that one day his Daddy would come back, and greet him there on the beach.

When he arrived, he saw no boats looming in the distance. Haru's shoulders slumped and he sat down on a rather wet bench, thirty feet away from the coast. Tears stung in his eyes, and he pulled his legs up to his tiny chest, watching the sea determinedly.

"I thought that guys never cried," a small voice said suddenly from his right. Haru jumped up, falling in the wet sand. The speaker laughed, and Haru looked up at a young girl kneeling next to him. "Sorry about that, I didn't mean to scare you."

Haru blinked, sure he was seeing things. The girl had golden-bronze hair and round brown eyes, but she wasn't anyone he had ever seen before – Haru prided himself in the meaningless accomplishment of knowing everyone by name and face from his sister's grade and below.

"Who're you?" he finally asked, wiping rain and tears off his cheeks. The girl grinned happily, pushing some of her wet hair out of her eyes. "And I wasn't crying! It was the rain!"

She laughed again, "Right. If you say so. And my name is Elie! I turn seven in January," she introduced, standing up and offering him a hand up. Haru simply stared at her hand for a second. "Well, are you gonna lay there all day?"

Finally, Haru took her hand and hoisted himself up. "I'm Haru, and I just turned seven last month," he said, grinning now. Elie's lower lip stuck out, and she crossed her arms against her chest. "What?"

"I didn't want you to be older than me! That means that we won't be in the same class!" she said, sitting down on the muddy sand. Haru stared down at this girl in complete surprise – she wasn't serious, was she?

Suddenly, he laughed, placing his hands on his hips cheerfully. "Just because you're a couple months younger than I am, doesn't mean we won't be in the same class!" he told her, kneeling next to her. "You're really weird, do you know that?"

Next thing he knew, Elie's fist hit in the forehead, and he fell backwards into the muddy sand. "Nu-uh!" she cried, laughing at his expression. He stared down at his clothes, torn between amusement and fear. "I like you, Haru! Let's be friends!"

"OK! But, you gotta help me get all this sand off my back," he said, grinning up at her. Elie leaned around, considering how she could do it.

Suddenly, she grabbed his hand and began dragging him from the beach, "I got a hose outside my house that you can use to rinse it off with!" she declared, leading him up the road and into town.

Haru started running, still grabbing her hand and laughing. She was, without a doubt, the weirdest girl he had ever met before. But, he liked her. She was energetic, and she hadn't made fun of his hair – yet. When the two reached her small home, Elie led him to the back and told him to turn around. Slowly, he did as he was told, closing his eyes. A sudden blast of cold water went seeping down his back, and he jumped away.

"Stay still, silly!" she giggled, continuing. Haru sighed, and allowed her to continue with the minimal amounts of jumping. When she finished, Haru's shirt – however soaking wet – was free of sand and mud.

Haru thanked her cheerfully, turning to run home. "Hey, Elie," he suddenly said, turning and offering her a hand, "wanna come to my house?" Elie blinked in confusion for a second before grabbing onto his hand and nodding. "Awesome!"

Together, the two ran back to Haru's house, jumping in puddles and splashing each other with mud at every opportunity. By the time they both reached his house, they were giggly and covered from head to foot in mud and water.

As stealthily as they could manage, the two sneaked through the back door and up the stairs into his bedroom. Elie looked around in awe, not noticing that she was tracking mud all over the floor. "I like your room, Haru!" she said, laughing. Haru nodded, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Be quiet, or Cattleya and her annoying group of friends will hear you," he told her quietly, placing a finger over his lips. Elie nodded, doing the same. For a second, they sat in silence, broken only by their breathing.

"Haru, if your sister's friends are annoying, couldn't you call one of your friends over or something?" she asked suddenly, sitting down on his bed carefully, trying to get as little water on the sheets as possible. Haru's face darkened and he looked down, not answering. "Haru?"

He sighed. "Well, you're kinda the first friend I've ever had. A lotta kids my age think that I'm a freak, because of my hair color, and because my Mom and Dad are both gone," he explained softly, kicking at some drying mud on the ground.

Elie stayed silent for a second as she digested this. Suddenly, she sprang up and gave Haru a hug. "My Mommy and Daddy are gone too. And, my hair is different too," she told him gently, holding him tightly. Haru slowly lifted his arms and hugged her back. "At least you have your sister, right? I don't have anyone!"

"Heh…yeah, I guess you're right. Sorry for being so mean!" he said, laughing. Elie laughed as well, pulling away. "Wanna play some video games with me?" he asked, pointing the large TV in the corner, and attached to were a multitude of wires. Elie grinned wider, grabbing one of the controllers.

They began playing, throwing caution to the wind and talking as loudly as they wanted, groaned and crying out in frustration as they would start to lose. Both of them began to get so involved in playing the game that neither of them noticing as Cattleya opened the door and gazed around at the mud on the floor, the bed, and the controllers.

"Haru…Glory…" she said in a low voice, causing them both to jump. Haru stared between the mud he could see and the absolute rage on his sister's face. "I'm going to give you two seconds. She better be gone, or I swear to God –"

Before she could finish, Haru grabbed Elie's hand and began pulling her downstairs. "Sorry, Elie! I'll meet you at the beach at noon tomorrow, OK?" he said hurriedly, nearly throwing her out the door. Elie laughed, nodding. "Bye! Thanks for coming over!"

"See ya' tomorrow!" she called, running down the walkway and back into town. Haru stood in the doorway, waving his arm, ignoring as more rain slid onto his clothing. However, Cattleya did not ignore this, and yanked him back inside, preparing him for the biggest scolding she had, or would, ever give the younger boy.

All throughout the lecture, Haru thought about Elie. She was, after all, his very first friend, and he definitely enjoyed her company. Somewhere in his gut, he could feel that the two of them would be friends for a very, very long time.

~x~

Author's Note: Yay! Chapter one done! It's short, and so are the next few chapters, but when things really start getting interesting, they'll get longer. Thanks for reading~ Next chapter will be up when I get back! I'll be going out of town, so...no chance to write.

**To the gangsta of love:** Yes, I received all of your messages. I replied, but you must not have recieved them. However, I'd like to say to you; thank you. I was being rather...selfish with my stories, and I guess you could say I got a swelled head because my One Piece fanfic got such a huge boom when I posted it after being gone for several years. From now on, nothing will be taken done, I promise. (:


	2. Chapter 2: Meeting Elie, Part II

Falling Away

~x~

Author's Note: Bleh. I hate traveling. Well, with my family at least. I won't bore you all with the details, but just know that I'm back from my trip, and I'm trying to get this chapter up as soon as possible. This chapter is actually a little longer than I intended...oops.  
Oh, gangsta of love, go read the very bottom of last chapter. =P

~x~

**Chapter Two: Meeting Elie, Part II**

Musica walked around his new town, hating every inch of it. It wasn't Blues Town, where he had lived with his foster father, Rize, and it wasn't Punk Street where he had lived the first several years of his life. It was too quiet, too small, and definitely too…_pretty._ There wasn't any character to this place.

To make things worse, every single person he had seen looked _exactly the same_. Brown eyes, black hair. He was much more accustomed to seeing all the different hairstyles – especially some of the weird guys Rize-sama had served.

"I hate it here! I wanna go back with Rize!" he screamed, kicking a nearby lamppost. Several people on the street – even the _streets_ of all places were quiet! – stared at the teenager in a mix of confusion and amusement. Musica resisted the urge to tell them to mind their own business. Suddenly, a small giggle from his right caught his attention, causing him to turn.

The person giggling was a young girl – maybe three years younger than him, with golden bronze hair and round brown eyes. She was standing next to a boy who was looking at Musica with wide purple eyes, his white hair sticking up in every direction.

Already in a very bad mood, Musica scowled. "What?" he demanded angrily, while rubbing his sore foot gently. The girl giggled again at being seen, turning to her friend and whispering something in his ear. The boy nodded, and grinned.

"You must be a new guy," the girl said, stepping forward happily, "I'm Elie, and this is my friend Haru." The boy nodded cheerfully, following her protectively. "What's your name?"

Musica scoffed. "Beat it, kids. I don't have time for little elementary school annoyances," he told them, rolling his eyes and turning to leave.

"We're not in elementary school! We're heading into Middle School this August! Besides, I'm turning twelve next month, and Elie turned eleven last January!" Haru said indignantly. Musica laughed again, stopping. Haru had his arms crossed against his chest, and his lower lip was sticking out. "What's so funny?"

Rolling his eyes again, Musica shrugged. "Besides the fact that the two of you are really immature, even for a couple of third graders? Nothing, really," he said with a smirk. Haru stamped his foot and turned to leave while Musica roared with laughter.

Elie kept on looking at him, a smile playing at her lips. She hadn't been affected at all by Musica's words, obviously. "Yeah, let's go Haru. I bet you couldn't take him anyways," she said happily, following her friend. Both boys, who had turned and began walking away stopped. Haru turned back to him, sizing up the older boy as Musica did the same.

"How old are you, anyways?" Haru asked, stepping forward again. Musica glanced at Elie with his eyebrows raised – was this kid serious? Musica told him his age, and Haru smiled. "Thirteen? I beat the crap out of my older sister's boyfriend last year, and he was sixteen."

Musica laughed again, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Way out of your league, kiddo. I've taken on _adults_," he lied easily. Haru scoffed, placing his hands on his hips. Elie smirked, standing behind Haru expectantly.

The air was filled with silence for so long that Musica had turned away to leave again. Just as he had taken a few steps, however, a force hit him in the back, knocking him forward. Fists were connected to his back, and the wind was knocked out of him. However, Hamrio Musica was not to give up, so he fought back, landing quite a few hits on the small boy.

Within thirty seconds, Haru's nose was bleeding and Musica was sporting a black eye and a swollen lip. Next to them, a crowd was forming, their words blending together to something that sounded like words but made no sense.

"Yeah! Kick his ass, Haru!" Elie was screaming.

"Dude, is that…_Haru Glory_?!"

"No way, that scrawny freak? Impossible!"

"I heard that Haru beat the shit out of Branch a year ago, actually."

"Forget that! Who the hell is he _fighting_?!"

"Dunno, never seen him before!"

"H-Haru?!"

"_Hamrio!_"

Before their fight could worsen – Haru was now bleeding from his forehead, neck, nose, and lip while Musica was bleeding from his knuckles, eyebrow, lip, nose, and mouth – two adults came and pried the two apart. The one holding Musica was an older man, with long silver hair pulled back into a pony tail and a hammer around his waist. The man holding Haru had thick eyebrows and short black hair and looked a mix of amusement and anger.

"What the hell are you doing, Hamrio?!" the man asked, shaking his Grandson slightly. Musica grinned up at him, wiping blood from his mouth and wincing – at least two broken fingers. Haru was trying to explain that Elie had been the one to start it, but neither adult was listening. "If your parents could see you now, they'd take you straight back to Punk Street!"

Musica laughed, feeling lightheaded. "Good! Oh, too bad they died when I was little," he said cheerfully. Turning back, he waved to Haru happily. "Nice fight kid. Guess I'll see ya' around."

"What are you talking about? Meet Haru and me at the bench at noon tomorrow, OK?!" Elie called, grinning widely. Musica stared at her for a second before breaking out into a painful smiling, waving his arm at them both. Elie smiled and waved back, following Haru and the man that was dragging him along.

Before he could say or do anything else, his Grandfather had grabbed his arm was dragging him back, lecturing him angrily. Musica didn't pay attention – he already when what the man was saying. "Thank God the two of us pulled you apart when we did – you could have seriously hurt yourself, Hamrio!" he said once they got to their small house.

"Stop calling me that! I told you – I haven't gone by that name since Mom and Dad died!" Musica scowled, pulling his arm free. Not amused, his Grandfather knelt down to his eye level, waiting patiently for his Grandson to look him in the eye.

Reluctantly, the teenager snapped his head back to look at him, ready for punishment. "Do you need help cleaning yourself up, Musica?" he asked softly, placing a hand on the younger boys black, blood-crusted hair. The boy smiled, and shook his head.

"I think I broke a couple fingers, actually," he admitted, laughing. The older Musica sighed in slight amusement, but nodded. Without another word, the two left the house and started the walk to the local doctor – as there was no actual hospital on this island, Musica realized during his previous walk.

Eyeing his Grandson, the older man sighed. "That kid really gave you a beating didn't he?" he whistled, laughing. "What in the world even prompted the two of you to even start?" Musica didn't really have a good enough excuse for this, so he decided with the truth.

"You know that girl that left with him? Elie? Well, she came over and started talking to me and then I told them to beat it because they were too young, and she says 'yeah, let's go, Haru couldn't beat you anyways' and then he starts sizing me up. Naturally, I would never throw the first punch to a little kid, so I start walking away and you know what? The kid comes and starts punching me!" Musica said, holding his nose to cut the bleeding.

Again, the older man whistled. With a laugh, he guided the younger Musica into a small house, bowing slightly to the receptionist. "My Grandson here belives he might have broken several fingers. And, I'd like to get him bandaged up properly," he explained. The doctor appeared, rubbing his hands with a towel and staring at the teenager.

"Ah, is this the kid that Haru got into a fight with? Man, he really has been training every day," he said cheerfully, gesturing to a small room with several beds. One of the beds – undoubtedly Haru's – was blocked by a white sheet, but his friend Elie was sitting on the chair next to it, swinging her legs.

Musica had no time to wave or say any form of greeting as he was bandaged up, but he could feel her gaze on him. By the time he had finished, he was lying in the bed with his nose clamped shut to stop the bleeding, hand wrapped up tightly, and head bandaged carefully.

Elie appeared by his side then, grinning happily. "You never told us your name, you know," she said innocently, sitting next to him. Musica blinked, nodding. His Granddad had left to go work, with permission from him, of course, so the two were free to talk without fear of being watched.

"Musica. I just moved here from Blues Town," he said, smiling. Elie smiled back, swinging her legs again. "Haru in that bed over there?" he asked, nodding at the other bed. Elie followed his gaze rather reluctantly, her eyes glazing over.

With a sigh, she shook her head. "Nah, his sister can take good enough care for him. That's my foster mom," she explained shortly, shrugging. Natural curiosity took over, and Musica continued bugging her about it until she caved. "I moved here a couple years ago on my own, because I had a foster parent waiting here or something, but a couple months after I got here, he died, and I got passed onto a different one. Then that couple died, and I went to like…ten more families in the four years I've been here."

He was shocked. "What happened to them?" he asked quietly. Elie laughed ruefully.

"The first three went to the mainland with me for a weekend getaway, and died in a car crash. The others died of 'natural causes', except for one, who was shot. This one is in here because she fell down the stairs and hit her head."

Silence settled over the two, leaving Musica without a clue what to say. She had seemed so cheerful, so carefree, he would have never guessed. Before he could give his condolences, she sprang up, grinning once more. "But, I don't really dwell on it, you know? I have Haru, so I don't need any parents!"

"What about me?" Musica asked. It was a question only very small children asked, but he couldn't help it. He wanted to be her friend, and Haru's, and not just because of how her life had turned out. If she had been through twelve foster families in the past four years, how many had she been through the first six?

Elie blinked, and then laughed. "Well, we can be friends too! So now I have you _and_ Haru!" she replied happily, sitting back down. Musica laughed with her, rubbing his hand absently.  
If this girl could live such a carefree life, then he could to. Actually, Musica felt that he could probably learn quite a lot from this young girl, regardless of her age.

~x~

Author's Note: Yay! Done! I realize how sad I made Elie's life, but I think that since she will not be losing her memories twice and skipping fifty years of time, I had to compensate. There's a bit of theme going on here – everyone that is attracted to her has _some_ sort of issue. Haru doesn't have any parents, Musica saw all THREE of the people he considered parents, and Let and Julia…that's a surprise. ;P Thanks for reading, next chapter will be up ASAP~


	3. Chapter 3: Meeting Elie, Part III

Falling Away

~x~

Author's Note: Mmm…that's a good point, gangsta. 8D Anyone like my new name? I thought of it in my math class today (yeah, that's what I do in math class. Daydream and doodle. Oh, and write. Can you believe that I always, without fail, get my best ideas in that notebook? Poor thing is a third filled because I ripped out the pages that weren't math related…) and I figured it stuck. 8D By the way, to any loving fans (…who am I even kidding?) go to my profile and read it. There's a tidbit at the end that applies to you guys. Maybe.  
ANYWAYS, enjoy the new chapter!

~x~

**Chapter Three: Meeting Elie, Part III**

"Let?"

"What, Julia?"

"Are you sure…about this?"

"I am."

"What if he finds us?"

"If he does, then I'll kill him. He'll never touch you again."

Silence.

"Let?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Those soft words were spoken quietly into the night, by two young adults on a small ship that was currently heading south of the Song continent mainland. Unlike the others on board, the two were huddled together in the lowest level of the ship, sitting in the dark, unable to see. It was not the best of conditions, but they would have gladly taken this over the alternative.

Let and Julia, a couple that would be attending college online away from the noise in the city, had been on the boat for three days now, talking rarely and not eating. It was, oddly enough, by choice that the two were enduring this.

Though neither of them would say the words out loud, they were escaping. Escaping from the world they had been born in and into a world filled with humans and other oddly smelling life. Let said that they were fugitives for lack of a better word, though that was not entirely true. They had been framed for a crime that had nearly cost them their lives.

"Let…Julia? Are you there?" a voice said suddenly, cutting through the dark. Let tensed, tightening his hold on Julia slightly. "We're nearing Garage. I'm leaving a bag in the doorway for you both – it has enough money for a small apartment and a couple days worth of clothes until you can get jobs. Your laptops are also set up, and I've left cards with your account to get onto the college site in there."

Footsteps, and then the speaker was gone. Julia sighed in relief, pulling free of Let's arms. "We owe him a great deal, Let," she said, standing up shakily. Let watched her carefully, unsure if he could stand up himself – it _had_ been three days, after all. "Serbia and Anis…it's a shame that they had to leave Makai to come help us."

"It was their decision. When they return to Makai, they will simply claim that we forced them to help, and will only receive minimum punishment," he said hoarsely, standing slowly. In the dark, Julia groped around, trying to get a feel of where they were.

Several minutes passed, and a red light appeared on the wall, followed by another one, and another, until the room was filled with dim red light. Both of them shielded their eyes automatically, the light being the first they had seen. "It must be to help us get ready for the light out there," Julia said, opening her eyes slowly. "The lights are going to get gradually brighter, until it'll just be waking up and being blinded."

Let nodded, walking forward and wrapping his arms around his beloved. "Relax. We're safe now," he whispered in her ear, flinching as the lights suddenly got brighter. "Are you ever not right?" he asked, chuckling.

"Of course not. One of us has to call the shots," she replied, smirking. Let felt his heart swell at that smirk – it was one he had not been able to see lately. "God, I missed being able to _see_," she complained, laughing again.

The two stood in silence for a few moments longer, basking in the ability to see. "We're getting nearer," Let said suddenly, straightening up. The light brightened again, but both of their eyes were already adjusted enough for this to not be much a problem. Julia glanced to the door, nodding. "Whatever happens, it's in our hands."

"Damn right," she muttered, turning to him and grabbing his hand. "Ready to live among the humans?"

Let scowled, squeezing her hand gently. "Not at all. But, if it is what must be done, I shall do it," he said seriously, sighing. Julia smiled, and led him out, grabbing the bag. "Maybe I won't even talk to any humans…"

Julia laughed, pausing as she went to open the door. "Good thing we aren't in actual classes then," she said softly, opening the door. Bright light filled their eyes, and they turned away. "We're safe now, Let. The Makai people won't find us." She said it, but she wasn't sure. The crime they were accused of was definitely worth coming out to find them, even in the human world.

As they left the little cabin, both turned and looked at the captain and the sole crew member – Anis and Serbia. The two bowed deeply, stuttering out a thank you. The two simply laughed, telling them not to worry. "Let, Julia," Anis said confidently, "the four of us have been friends since we were little. The Makai people won't find you here, honest."

"Honestly, Let, lighten up. This is your new life, so make the best of it," Serbia said cheerfully. The other two smiled, rising. "Here's the address for your new house. Town is small, so you should be able to find your way fairly fast."

The two bowed once more, departing the boat. "Anis…Serbia…" Let said, half-turned, "if there is ever anything the two of you need, please…contact us." Without another word, the two were stepping down to the beach, leaving their oldest friends behind him.

Even the beach was small and quiet – only three other people were in sight. They seemed to be teenagers, maybe just entering high school. Let only glanced at them for a second before turning and beginning to head to the road leading to town. "Hey, Let…one of those kids is coming over," Julia whispered, grabbing his arm to stop him.

"Hiya," a young girl said. Both turned to stare down at her, unaware of how gaunt they looked. The girl, however, did notice this. "Wow, you guys look you could use a good meal. Ha, maybe you should go see Gemma-san!"

The two were silent. "Um…hi," Julia finally said, "We could use a good meal, yes. Where is this…Gemma, exactly?" she asked, smiling down at her. The girl considered, running a hand through her rather long bronze-brown hair.

Suddenly, the girl laughed, shrugging. "I dunno. Haru and Musica do, though. They go there all the time!" she exclaimed, clasping her hands behind her back. Next to her, Julia could feel Let's distaste, though he stayed silent. "Stay here, OK? I'll go and get them."

Before they could stop her, she had ran off to the other two people she had been with, pointing to them and speaking. "She's eccentric, isn't she?" Julia whispered, smiling. Let scoffed, staying silent with his arms crossed against his chest. "Jesus, relax. It's a little girl, you could definitely take her if she tried to attack us."

The three teenagers appeared again, the other two standing next to the girl rather protectively. The one on the right had messy white hair, and light purple eyes narrowed in determination while the one of the left had long black hair and three piercings. "You guys are looking for Gemma?" the silver haired one said when they were close. The girl nodded, laughing.

"Not exactly, Haru. They look hungry, and Gemma can make some really good food you said!" she explained cheerfully. The silver haired one – Haru – sighed, and scratched the back of his head. Noticing this, the girl crossed her arms against her chest and turned to stare at me. "I'm just saying what _you_ said!"

The other one chuckled. "Elie," he said in amusement, "Gemma makes _drinks_. Damn good drinks, but a drink definitely won't fill these two up." Elie blinked, staring at Let and Julia. The two had remained still in their shock, and Julia could practically feel herself start to like these two, though Let seemed to be remaining persistent in his dislike.

"Oh, really? Hmm…" she said, tapping her lip as she tried to decide, "Oh, I know! You could come back to Haru's house with us! His older sister Cattleya is one of the best chefs on the whole island!"

Haru sighed loudly, shaking his head. "Can you get anything right? Cattleya can't cook to save her life! What you two want," he said turning to them, "is stop by the grocery store. The restaraunts are good and all, but just buying groceries is a lot cheaper."

"I'm sorry, but who are you kids?" Let asked suddenly, his eyes narrowed. Julia smirked, placing her hands on her rather dirty hips. Screw the food, she needed a shower.

Elie giggled. "Well, I'm Elie, and this guy here is Haru," she said, pointing. "He just turned fifteen, but I still have to wait until January. That means we're starting high school finally!" Haru nodded with a grin. "And this guy is Musica," she said, pointing to the other one, "he's almost eighteen and he's going into his third year."

The two older ones exchanged a look – far too young. "I'm Julia, and this is Let. We're starting our first year at college this August," she introduced cheerfully. Let nodded stiffly next to her, and the three others grinned.

"Wanna go get some food together?" Elie asked happily, already turning to leave. The two boys stared at her in surprise, not moving. Realizing that no one was following her, Elie turned and frowned at them all. "Come _on_ guys! All the good places are gonna start getting all busy, so it'll take too long for these two to get a decent meal!"

Let and Julia were touched. This little girl – she was only fourteen! – cared enough to treat them to the first meal they had had in three long days. The two boys sighed, and turned to follow her. "We can pay for our own meal," Let said, slowly following. Julia nodded, patting the bag.

Obviously, Elie wasn't having that. "Save it for another day. Think of this as our welcome to Garage Island present, OK?!" she said, smiling cheerfully and rushing away. The two made to protest again, but Musica shook his head.

"What Elie says, Elie does. No changing that," he said under his breath, following her. The other three sighed, following them as well.

* * *

The meal was long, though it was mostly Julia and Let that ate. The other three sat with them, talking happily and even including the other two in the conversation. "If there aren't any colleges here, how are you guys going?" Haru asked curiously after a bit, leaning his elbow on the table.

"Online courses," they answered in unison, sucking down their third drink. Elie had fallen strangely quiet, and they wondered if she was worried about her money supply. "Elie," Let said softly, "we can really pay for our own food."

The little girl looked up as if she had been ripped from a trance. "Huh? Oh…oh, no, it's fine. I have enough," she said, smiling. An awkward silence fell over the five, and Elie sat there and stirred the ice-cubes in her drink. Musica and Haru exchanged a look, as did Let and Julia. All four of them were silently demanding that the one they were looking at ask her what was wrong.

"If you don't mind me asking," Julia finally said, breaking the silence tactfully, "is there anything bothering you, Elie? You look troubled," she asked, putting her drink down. Let did the same, looking at her patiently.

Elie looked between Let and Julia, as if she was trying to figure out what to say. "My foster Mom is sick," she explained, shrugging. "And the agency is running out good families to stick me with." Haru and Musica looked down, as if they had known this was coming. Looking up, Elie smiled again at their confusion. "I've only been with her for a couple months, but I really like her."

"How many families have you been with?" Julia asked before she could decide whether or not that question was sensitive. Elie, however, laughed, shrugging. The older woman's eyes flickered to Haru, who had turned away. His eyes were only seen for a second before his head was down, but Julia was positive that this was not a subject he enjoyed visiting.

Elie shrugging again, ticking off her fingers, "By the time I got here when I was six, I had been to…twelve families and a foster home. When I met Musica when I was eleven, I had gone through another twelve. So, that's twenty four different families and one foster home already. It's been three years since then, and another…seven families. Thirty one families and one foster home, to date," she said. Her voice was light and casual, but her eyes betrayed her – they had tightened with the effort of not crying.

Let and Julia were stunned. "Only five of the families Elie's lived with on the island were actual residents before adopting her, though. The other fourteen were asked to come in and live with her instead," Musica added softly, leaning forward.

"How…how can you be…?" Let tried to ask, his voice closing in on him. Julia tried to ask the same question, but found she was unable to ask it. Guessing, Elie smiled cheerfully, the look in her eyes vanished. Let and Julia had been run from their country, but at least they had lived with one family their entire life. In her short fourteen and a half years, Elie had lived in thirty two homes. _Thirty two_!

"Because I don't need parents! I realized that when I was really little. As long as I have Musica and Haru, I can be happy," she explained, laughing. Let stared, his mouth open slightly. Haru looked up then, that determined look in his eyes again.

Let stared at Haru, trying to decipher his expression. "And if the two of you stick around, that'll make five!" he exclaimed, laughing. Elie and Musica nodded cheerfully, all seriousness lost.  
"We…we'd love to be around you three," Let mumbled, squeezing Julia's hand under the table. The three silenced, staring at them.

Julia smiled, nodding. "Definitely energetic enough for me," she proclaimed, smirking. The three smiled widely at one another, chatting happily. Let did not speak, but Julia could feel his new resolve – he would make sure that these three had something to smile about. He'd never let that look return to Haru's eyes, or tears return – as they had obviously had been there numerous times – onto Elie's cheeks.

They'd make sure of that.

~x~

Author's Note: I'm horrible. xD I wonder if Elie knows that she's my favorite character in the series, and that I do all of this out of love…er, probably not. OH, and what Julia and Let got accused of will be revealed LATER. When Jegan appears. Mwuhahaha. Again, this chapter is longer than I wanted, but it's fine. Just preparing you guys for the next chapters, will be much longer. Love, love. By the way, this is the last 'Meeting Elie, Part X' chapter for a while. Thanks for reading~


	4. Chapter 4: Sieg, School, and Birthdays

Falling Away

~x~

Author's Note: Why yes, I am updating obnoxiously fast. Reason? Parent-best-friend-problems. I won't bore anyone with the dirty details, but updates may either increase to twice a day (actually, I'd like to see that happen. xD) to once a week. Depending on this weekend. You've been warned. And, yes. All of the Elie's pervious families have died – ten were murdered, and the others died of natural causes. Only five of her actual families were residents of Garage Island before they adopted her, though. The others have just come to live with her, upon request.

Disclaimer: How could I keep forgetting this? I do NOT own any character. Not even Plue. Or Elie. I just take their lives (except Plue?) and twist them into horrible situations. Mwuhahaha.

BY THE WAY, real quick! You guys should all go to my new forum – Wind Deity! Here's the link for it;

h t t p : / / f o r u m . f a n f i c t i o n . n e t / f o r u m / W i n d _ D e i t y / 7 0 7 3 1 /

Just remove the spaces, and go ahead~

~x~

**Chapter Four: Sieg, School, Birthdays, and New Year**

"They told me something a little weird today, guys. When I went in to the agency," Elie said softly, hugging her knees to her chest. The four others, which had previously been talking loudly and goofing off fell silent. "They told me…that I can't stay here anymore. On the island."

Outrage filled the air. The ones that had been sitting sprang up, and the ones standing threw their arms over their head in disbelief. "They can't just make you leave, Elie! Garage Island is your _home_!" Musica cried out. Still sitting, Elie looked at him indifferently. Since the two had met when she was eleven, Musica had changed little. "Elie, you can't just leave us!"

Haru nodded furiously, his purple eyes narrowed. The older two were staring down at her in a mixture of confusion, determination, and sadness. "Why are they making you leave?" Let asked calmly, crossing his muscled arms against his chest. Elie stared up at him numbly, remembering the look in his eyes when they had first met – starved, fearful and anxious. Now they looked like any normal college students; stressed, worried, kind, and rather cold.

"Because there isn't a person who wants to adopt me anymore," she replied slowly, shrugging again. Her tank top straps felt as though they were cutting into her skin, but she made no movement to make that go away – it wasn't real anyways.

Haru rolled his eyes, sitting back next to her. "How come no one else wants to adopt you?" he asked softly, wrapping his arm around her thin shoulders. Again, Elie shrugged, unwilling to share this story. Julia sighed, grabbing her hands and pulling her up.

"If Let and I qualified, I'd adopt you myself," she muttered, hugging her tightly. Elie nodded against her chest, biting back tears now. After a second, she pulled away, smiling as widely as she could without looking as though she was faking.

Before she could say anything, several beeps from various cell phones cut her off. Let, Julia, and Musica each pulled out their phone and sighed. "Let and I have to get back to our place for classes," Julia explained reluctantly, grabbing Elie and hugging her one more. "As soon as we get done, meet us at Gemma's."

"And I have to start my new job. I'll catch you guys later!" Musica called, waving as he rushed off. Let and Julia followed him, leaving Elie and Haru alone. An awkward silence filled the air, broken only as Elie sat back on the bench and it creaked.

"This is the same place where we met, isn't it?" Haru asked softly, toeing the sand with his boot. Elie looked up in surprise, but nodded. "It was raining, but both of us were out here without coats on anyways."

Elie laughed. "You were sitting in the rain crying because your Dad wasn't back yet, and I was escaping from my foster Dad," she added cheerfully, laughing as Haru's face flushed. He nudged her gently, muttering a denial. Elie grinned, "We met Musica next. Over by Gemma's place, right?

"Yeah. That was when you started growing out your hair," he said, nodding. "It was still really light. I remember." Elie stared at him – how could he have remembered that? _Elie_ hadn't even remembered that, and it was her hair! Haru turned, catching her stare. "What? It's true!"

The girl nodded slowly, smiling. "It was a couple months after your sixteenth birthday that I cut it. I was fifteen, I think," she added, laughing. "Why are we even discussing my _hair_?!" she asked, grinning. Haru laughed as well, shrugging. Both of them were silent for a while, watching the warm water as it crashed against the sand without pause.

"I don't want you to leave," he said softly. Elie didn't turn to look at him – it was bad enough that she had to hear that tortured tone; she couldn't see his expression. "Elie, you can't go. You can't leave me behind."

Very slowly, Elie turned to look at him, tears appearing at the corners of her eyes. "I don't _want_ to leave, Haru, you know that. But I can't stay here on my own…and no wants to adopt me anyways," she explained calmly. Haru sprang up, shaking his head. "Haru?"

"Why doesn't anyone want to adopt you?! You're sweet, and fun, and the best damn daughter in the world!" he demanded, his eyes narrowed in his anger. Elie blinked in surprise, looking down at her hands. "Elie, just _tell_ me. We're best friends!"

More tears appeared at the corners of her eyes, though Elie refused to blink and let them fall. "No one wants to adopt me…because…they th-think that if they d-do…that…" the tears had spilled over, and Elie held her head in her hands, "They think that they'll die if they take me in!" she cried, tears falling from her eyes without pause. Haru stared down at her, his mouth opened in surprise as his best friend sat on the same bench that he had used to cry on years ago and sobbed in a way she hadn't in years.

"Elie…" he said softly, grabbing her wrist and pulling her up. Before she could ask, he pressed her against his chest, wrapping his arms against her body silently. She hiccupped against him, grabbing onto his shirt and releasing all the sadness she had been feeling from the time they had informed her that she was leaving.

When Elie was finally depleted of tears, she sat down on the beach, watching the waves. Her brown eyes were blurry, and her cheeks were puffy, but she didn't care – she wasn't in school anyways. "Haru," she said suddenly, hugging her knees to her chest, "if I really do have to leave, I'm really glad that I got a chance to meet you."

"Don't say that. I'll think of a way to keep you here, Elie. Promise," he said hurriedly, shaking his head. Elie smiled softly, shrugging. "You're my very best friend; there's no way I'm letting you leave this island!" he declared, punching the air in front of him. The girl looked up in slight surprise, her mouth a perfect circle. She smiled, and nodded.

The two sat in silence for a few moments longer before footsteps from behind caught their attention. Elie stared up at the man in confusion – he had long blue hair, eyes several shades darker than Haru's, and a tattoo going down his right cheek. "Hello," he said calmly, "would you be a young girl named…Elie?"

Haru sprang up, standing and blocking her from view. "Are you from that stupid agency?" he demanded. The man stared down at him in a mixture of confusion and amusement, shaking his head. "Then why are you looking for Elie?!"

"Relax, Haru," Elie said, getting up as well. "I'm Elie, yeah. Why are you looking for me?" she asked politely, giving Haru a look that clearly said 'I've-dealt-with-all-sorts-of-crazy-adults-let-me-handle-this-or-I-sik-Julia-on-you'. Haru rolled his eyes, and stepped back, glaring at the man.

He smiled kindly, at both Haru and Elie. "My name is Sieg Hart. This might sound a little weird, but –"

Elie cut him with a laugh, "I've heard a lot of weird things. Nothing can be as bad as some of _that_," she told him happily, placing her hands on her hips. Behind her, Haru was still glaring at Sieg, tensed as though he was ready to attack if he needed to.

Sieg chuckled. "I suppose that is true. Well, I was reading through some profiles in the adoption agency, and I happened to stumble across your file. You're story struck me as…sad. Yet, when the social worker assigned to you told me about you, he said that you were cheerful and never seen without your friends," he said, watching her reaction in amusement – she had gasped, a hand flying to her throat. "I was just wondering if, to keep you on the island with your friends, you'd allow me to adopt you?"

Never had the question been asked to her. It was always, 'Hello Elie, this is so-and-so, and she or he will be your new parent!' until that point. Numbly, she looked back at Haru; his expression was just the surprise she was feeling. "Uh…um…" she stuttered out, completely uncertain of what to say. "You know just how many houses I've lived in, right?"

"To date? Thirty-four families, one foster home. None of them lasted over a year. Am I correct?" Sieg said immediately, smiling. Elie stared at him like he was insane.

"And you realize that each of the families and _dead_, right? You're sure that you want to take me in, knowing that you could drop dead at any time?" Elie asked, trying to mentally slap herself. This man, however insane he was, was offering her a chance to stay on the island with Haru, and Musica, and Let, and Julia yet here she was, pushing him away.

Again, Sieg chuckled. "I am aware of that, Elie. But, I assure you, I won't be dying any time in the near future – at least not until you are able to live on your own…legally," he told her calmly, smiling. Elie felt her head nod slowly in numb disbelief. Behind them, Haru had grabbed Elie's arms and spun her around.

"You're gonna stay on the island, Elie!" he cried happily, throwing his arms around her and holding her tightly. "Now we don't have to be apart!" Elie nodded, trying to think clearly. Haru spun her around, dropping her in the same place where he had been standing previously. "I'm going to go find the others and tell them the good news!"

Before Elie could say anything, Haru was gone, running towards town without looking back. Elie frowned, looking down at her hands. "I would have expected you to be more cheerful about this," Sieg said softly, still standing the same distance away. The teenager looked up, shrugging. "You're still worried that I'll die, and then you'll have to leave."

"No, that's not it. My friends mean the world to me, and I'm really happy that I won't have to leave," she said, shaking her head. Sieg smiled, waiting for her to finish. "But, sometimes I get really worried that if I stay with my friends long enough, they'll suffer the same as all the other people in my life." It was a fear she had never spoken out loud, and doing so was almost enough to start the tears again. Thankfully, she managed to restrain herself by watching the waves again.

Sieg sighed. "Elie," he said seriously, "your friends aren't willing to leave. Whether it be by death, or consent to leave the island, they won't abandon you. Not the way your real parents did." Elie gasped, turning to stare at him. All she had ever known about her parents was that her Mom had died in labor, and her Dad killed himself out of grief before even holding Elie. "Neither will I."

The teenager stared into his dark purple eyes, trying to see if what he was saying was the truth. They showed no signs of deceit, so Elie smiled. "You're right," she said, nodding. "Thank you, Sieg-san…for everything," she said, bowing slightly. Sieg chuckled, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Just call me Sieg. It's weird to hear someone who isn't really all that younger than I am calling me that," he said, smiling as she straightened up. Elie smiled back, nodding. "I should probably tell you a little bit about myself, huh?" he asked then, scratching his chin softly.

Elie nodded, jumping at the chance to get to know this strange man a little better. "Alright, well…I'm twenty-four, I was an orphan myself growing up, and I…well, I can do _magic_," he said, grinning widely as he said that last word. The teenager's mouth opened wide in awe, and he nodded.

"Really?! Wow! Can you teach me?" she exclaimed, her hands balling into fists above her rather impressive chest. Sieg laughed, holding his hands up and shaking his head. Elie's lower lip jutted out. "How come?"

The man laughed again, just shaking his head. "Very few people left have the potential to use Magic. Unfortunately, you have some, but it's too small to really do anything with," he explained carefully. Elie sighed, and shrugged. The two stood and talked for a while longer, just getting to know one another happily.

For the first time since meeting Let and Julia, Elie honestly felt that this might just work. He seemed lively enough, and he _had_ promised not to die anytime soon. Though she'd never admit it, that promise meant more to her than any other she had ever heard from one of her foster parents.

* * *

Months passed, and Elie found herself more cheerful than she had been in a very long time – she even threw a surprise party for Haru on his seventeenth birthday, Musica's nineteenth birthday, Let's twenty-fourth birthday, and Julia's twenty-second birthday. School even seemed to be going well for her – despite her obvious lack of focus during class, which Haru liked to point one.

"Maybe if you actually listened to the lesson, you'd get better grades than a C-!" he teased, holding up a happy looking 'B+' and waving it around. Elie glared at him, sorely tempted to hit him as hard as she was able to on the head with her bag.

Instead, she continued closing it. "You're one to talk; I saw you cheating off Celia the entire test," she finally said, smirking. Haru froze, his paper halting as well. Elie laughed, throwing her bag over her shoulder and heading out. Haru followed automatically, folding up the paper and shoving it into his pocket. "You really should get a bag, you know," she told him, sliding onto the bench for the lunch table.

"Yeah right. Bags are for very incredibly lame people," he said cheerfully, receiving a whack on the head from Elie's fist. "Oh, by the way, Julia wants you to come over to her house for New Year's." Elie scowled – she hated New Year's party, mostly because it was the night before her birthday, and she hated being hung over/drunk on her birthday. "Come on, Elie! It's a birthday and New Year's party combined! And, it's only two weeks ago!"

Stubbornly, Elie shook her head. "I'm gonna spend my birthday with Sieg; he asked me if I'd like to the other day. Besides, you _know_ how I feel about getting drunk on my birthday! Any other day I'm fine with, but not the day before or after my birthday."

Haru sighed in defeat. "Fine. No party. Guess you don't want your gifts either," he said, feigning sadness. Elie automatically looked up in excitement, pulling out her wallet to go get food. Before she could even ask, Haru had shaken his head, "Nope. I'll just ditch them."

"Aw, come on, Haru!" she whined, grabbing his elbow and dragging him with her. Haru laughed, pushing past a couple of people to follow her carefully. "I said no party, not no gifts!" Elie sighed, looping her arm in his to make sure they didn't get separated. Laughing again, he shrugged. "Come _on_ Haru!"

As the two pushed through way through the crowd, another girl appeared next to Haru, latching onto his left arm. "Haru-chan, how come you never sit with _me_?" she squealed, giggling loudly. Pointedly, Elie looked straight ahead, but Haru smiled down at the girl.

"I dunno. I guess me n' Elie just got so used to sitting where Musica and his gang of dudes sat, we just kept on sitting there even after they graduated!" he explained, laughing. "How about you guys come sit with us, Celia?" Celia jutted out her bottom lip, shaking her head. Her long blue hair swished around her head, hitting several people as they passed.

Elie pulled her arm free, heading into the small backroom that sold the food, leaving Celia and Haru in the doorway, blocking everyone else. "Haru-chan, are you dating Elie?" Celia asked, grabbing his arm and pulling him out of the way. Before he could even consider this, Haru laughed, shaking his head. "Really? So, you're not dating anyone at all?"

"Nah. Besides, Elie is just my best friend," he explained, grinning. Celia laughed with him, edging closer slightly. "What about you? You dating anyone?" Haru had only asked to be polite – he had no interest in dating anyways. However, Celia seemed to take this as a hint that he liked him, and she giggled again, edging closer. For a brief second, the teenage boy was very much aware of how low-cut her shirt was, and just how chesty this girl was.

Batting her blue eyes, Celia smiled. "No, I'm not. Though, I'm sure that could change at any time," she told him in a low voice. Haru laughed, nodding. "Haru-chan," she said, grinning happily, "can I ask you something?" He blinked, and then nodded. "What sort of girl are you in to?"

Haru's mouth popped open in surprise, and a warm blush crept into his face. He had never even _considered_ anything like this! "Uh…" he stammered, leaning away Celia suddenly. She giggled, hands on her hips in waiting. "Well, I guess I like…" he paused, glancing around as though that might help him. His eyes fell onto Elie as she waited impatiently in the line, looking lost in her thoughts. "I like a girl who's really fun to be around, someone who's definitely not afraid to speak her mind and someone who isn't afraid of a lot of things. Someone who's really energetic, and well, pretty, I guess."

_Wait_, he thought suddenly, _was I just describing Elie_?! Celia giggled, jumping up and down. "We're perfect for one another, Haru-chan!" she squealed, throwing her arms around him. Haru stared down at her in confusion, not lifting his arms to hug her back. Elie appeared next to them, holding a tray with a small bottle of water and a salad.

"Elie," Haru said softly, looking down at her expression. Her brown eyes had a rather guarded expression to them, as if she was hiding something. She was smiling the same smile she had always given him, but Haru could tell there was something different about it. "Uh…Celia?"

The girl jumped back, laughing happily. "Hiya, Elie!" she cried cheerfully, waving. Elie smiled and waved back slowly, glancing straight ahead at Celia. Celia glanced over her shoulder, waving to another friend cheerfully. "I gotta run, but I'll talk to you guys later!" Without another word, she was gone, sliding into her seat and talking quickly to her friends. Elie hesitated a moment before smiling up at Haru and heading back to the table, with Haru following closely behind her.

"What was Celia so excited about?" Elie asked, opening a small packet of dressing and pouring it on the salad. Haru sighed, shrugging. "She looks like you just asked her on a date or something," she stated, stopping suddenly and looking up at Haru with a rather curious expression. "_Did_ you ask her out?"

Automatically, Haru shook his head; nearly choking on the drink he had begun drinking. "N-no! Geez, why are all the girls do worried about dating and who I'm 'in to'?!" he demanded, coughing. Elie stared at him in slight amusement, taking bites of her salad in silence. Haru sighed, twisting the cap back on his drink. Elie didn't say anything, so he kept quiet. A question bubbled to his head, and he asked it without even considering it. "What sort of dude are you in to, Elie?"

The teenager stopped mid bite, staring at Haru curiously. He stared back determinedly, a light blush on his cheek still. Grinning, she set her fork down and wiped her hands. "I don't know. I've been a little busy, you know. Uh…well, I guess if I had to…I'd pick someone who accepts my past regardless…and, um, is really kind, with a great personality. And definitely gorgeous. Definitely," she said, laughing. Haru laughed with her, watching her eat.

He had never really noticed, but Elie was the prettiest girl he had ever met, and that was saying something, as he had met quite a lot of pretty girls. But, there was something different about her, he decided. Maybe it was the way she had gone about life – needing _him_ more than any other person that had suddenly attracted him to her. _Or maybe_, his head told him, _you're an idiot and it took a girl asking if the two of you were dating to realize this._

Haru glanced at her one more time, and then away before he was caught staring. His heart fluttered slightly, and he wanted desperately to watch her again. The graceful her shoulders shook as she breathed…_Oh, God, she's my best friend! I shouldn't be thinking this stuff about her! Alright. Pull it together, Haru. This is the same Elie that you've known for nearly ten years._

But, he decided silently as he turned back to her, that isn't entirely true. She had grown, and matured. She had gotten taller – though, she was still a good head shorter than him – and her chest…well, that had definitely improved. A lot. There was no denying that.

"Hey, Haru, what do you want for Christmas?" Elie asked, interrupting his thoughts. Haru looked up, blinking in confusion. Her salad was gone, and she was finishing up her water. "Something on your mind?"

Haru smirked, shaking his head. "I want a…" _kiss from someone very special. Er…you. _"I dunno." He said, very grateful that Elie could not, however often she seemed to, read his mind. He really hadn't any idea where that had even come from, but he was very thankful he had thought it and not said it. Elie stuck out her lower lip, so he laughed and tried again. "How about a really big…snowman! Yeah! Make a snowman with me, Elie!"

Elie stared at him for a second. "You know that it doesn't snow enough for a snowman here, right? We'd have to go to the mainland," she said, an idea dawning over her. "I know what we can do for my birthday, and your Christmas present!" she declared suddenly, excitement flooding out of her. Haru's eyes widened as he understood.

"We can go to the mainland together!" he finished, hitting the table with his fists. Elie nodded happily, clapping her hands together. Haru laughed, mentally trying to memorize how cute she looked when she was excited.

When Elie returned home from school, she found Sieg sitting on the couch, waiting for her. "Hello, Elie," he said kindly; just like always. Elie smiled at him, slipping off her shoes. "Did anything exciting happen at school?" Elie was about to say her usual reply 'no, nothing new,' when she hesitated. There was something that _had_ been nagging her since lunch…

"Yeah, something kinda weird did happen today," she said distantly, throwing her bag over a hook. Sieg looked up in interest, closing his book as a gesture for her to continue. "Well, Haru and I were up getting lunch and Celia comes up and starts…hanging all over him, so I leave to go get my food, and when I come back, she's hugging him like he just agreed to marry her!" Sieg nodded knowingly – Elie complained quite a lot about the blue-haired girl. "I dunno, it just felt really…weird seeing that."

Elie sat down on the recliner across from him, shrugging. Sieg sighed, leaning forward on his knees. "Sounds like you were a bit jealous, Elie," he stated carefully. The teenager stared at him like he was crazy, so he continued, "You said that you felt weird seeing Celia hug Haru, right? Was it a weird that was made you feel excluded, or that you just didn't want Celia hugging him?"

For a few minutes, Elie sat in silence and considered the question. "I don't…know. I definitely didn't want them to hug…or well, to see them hugging anyways. And I guess that I did feel a bit excluded," she said slowly, measuring each word carefully.

"Then you were jealous," he said simply, smiling at her. Elie frowned, running a hand through her hair gently. "What I'm really curious about, is why you got jealous of something pertaining Haru." The teenager shrugged, not meeting his eyes. "Elie?"

Exhaling, she rolled her eyes. "I don't like Haru more than a friend, if that's what you're thinking," she said defensively, crossing her arms against her chest. Her foster parent didn't reply except to raise one blue eyebrow. Elie stared at him, her cheeks flooding with color.

As she stared into his purple eyes, the teenager was reminded rather forcefully of Haru, despite the fact that Sieg and Haru looked nothing alike. Sieg was just…like him. In personality alone, as they were both incredibly kind, and gentle, and sweet, and… _No. Have I fallen for Haru?! That's…that isn't possible!_

"It's perfectly common for best friends of the opposite gender to develop feelings for one another, you know," Sieg said softly, seeing the expression on his 'daughters' face. She blushed and looked away. "You're telling me that in the ten years you've known one another, you've _never_ thought of him more than a friend?"

To be honest, she hadn't. Not once. "No! But now you've got me all flustered and thinking about it," she said, throwing a small pillow at him. Laughing, he dodged it, shrugging. "He's my best friend. That's it."

With another shrug, Sieg stood up. "Alright, alright, I believe you," he said, smiling. Elie stared up at him, crossing her arms against her chest tightly. "I need to head off to work. Will you be alright here on your own?" he asked, walking to the closet and pulling out his coat. Elie nodded cheerfully, leaning back against the recliner and flipping the television on.

Once he was gone, Elie turned the electronic off, and held her head in her hands. _Did_ she like Haru more than a friend? That didn't seem entirely possible, though! Haru had been her best friend since she had got to this island. He was the one that had stood by her each funeral, rubbing her shoulders as she cried those first few times. He was her escape from the reality of her life. Elie couldn't fall for him. It would ruin _everything_.

However, she couldn't manage to get out the image of Celia hugging Haru tightly. It sent waves of anger and…jealous through her body. Suddenly, she stood up, her head spinning and heart racing. "No. No, I can't have!" she said under her breath, grabbing the nearest pillow and throwing it as hard as she could across the room.

"God…I've broke the number rule of being best friends with a guy…" she said softly, sinking back into the chair.

* * *

"Elie, come on already!" Haru asked from the boat, leaning against the edge. From the beach, his friend grinned, waving at Sieg. "Hurry up and get on board!" He was tired of waiting for her – this was the third time Sieg had stopped her from getting on.

She crossed her arms, rolling her large brown eyes. "Right! Bye Sieg!" she called, grabbing her suitcase and running up the ramp before he could stop her again. The foster father sighed, waving his arm. "We'll see you when we get back!" Before she could run down (again), Haru heaved up the ramp, signaling for the captain to shove off.

The two stood on the edge of the boat, flapping their arms wildly as they said their goodbyes, grinning happily. When the island was finally out of sight, they fell into a heap against the railing, rubbing their throats and arms. "I can't believe he actually let you go!" Haru gasped out in a raspy voice. Elie gave out a cracked laugh, nodding. "What did you say to convince him?"

"I didn't. I just asked him if I could go to the mainland with you for a birthday-New Years-Christmas gift to each other, and he agreed just like that!" she exclaimed, rubbing her throat and her voice cracked. Haru stared at her, and she shrugged.

For a while, the two sat in silence to let their voices get better. "Elie," Haru said suddenly, "what do you remember about the mainland?" Elie stared at him, her eyes wide in surprise. Haru stared back, waiting patiently for an answer.

Several seconds passed as Elie considered. "The place where I stayed at…well, places anyways, were all…crowded. I got lost once, in a crowd. It was right after I got out of that foster home, I was walking home with the foster parent, when my hand slipped from hers and we got separated." Elie chuckled, shaking her head. "I was so afraid."

"That sounds just like you when I first met you! You were always so amazed by the amount of people everywhere, but you always managed to get lost!" Haru said, laughing loudly. Elie rolled her eyes, slapping his arm. "What did you do while you were there?"

She shrugged. "Normal things. I went to school, came back, did homework, played outside. Though, I always moving around, so I never made any permanent friends," she said distantly, grinning. "There was this one guy, though. He was always really friendly to me. I can't remember too much about him, though, except that he was _really_ blond. Like, golden blond. And his eyes matched."

Again, the two sat in silence. "Hey Elie," Haru said, thinking back to when they first met, "I don't know why I just thought of this, but that one family you lived with…the fourth one or something, that was when you always had those big bruises, right?" Elie tensed, nodding slowly. "You lied about how you got them, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I did. Why are you asking this now, and not then, when I lived with them?" she asked tiredly, staring at him curiously. Haru stared back, not wanting to say that he had remembered it because of his sudden new desire to keep her from feeling pain.

The two stared at each for a few seconds before Haru caved. "I don't really know. I saw this old picture of Cattleya and her ex boyfriend, and I remembered how he used to…hit her, and how the bruises that she'd get would look really…weird. Then I remembered that _you _used to get the same bruises!"

Elie chuckled, running a hand through her hair and shrugging. "Yeah, that guy would hit me. But, it doesn't matter anymore. He's gone, now," she said firmly, shrugging. "That was when I stopped crying at funerals. Everyone there thought I was heartless, but I just…couldn't bring myself to cry over him."

"You're right, he's gone. And I won't let anyone else hurt you like that again!" he promised, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. Automatically, his heart race increased at the touch, but he ignored it. Elie laughed, nodding.

By the time the two arrived at the mainland, Haru was bundled up in one winter coat, two hoodies, three pairs of socks, earmuffs, a hat, and two pairs of gloves. Elie was wearing one thick hoodie and a hat, laughing as Haru shivered in the cold. "H-h-how ddddddid y-y-you ssssssta-ta-ta-tand this?!" he clattered, hugging himself.

Suddenly, he grabbed her and held her closely. "Need some warmth?" Elie guessed, laughing. He nodded, trying to hold his mouth closed. "Look! Haru, look at all the _snow_!" she cried suddenly, breaking away and running toward a large field. Haru followed slowly, his face lighting up. When she was close enough, Elie flung herself into a pile of it, flapping her arms and legs wildly.

"Er…El-El-El-lie, what are y-y-you do-do-ing?" he chattered, watching her in amusement. She laughed, jumping up and gazing down at her work. "W-whoa! It l-l-looks l-l-like an…an _angel_!"

With another laugh, Elie explained about snow angels, and igloos, and snow forts. Without waiting for her to explain, he bent down and made a ball of snow and began rolling it. "Lets g-g-go!"

For hours, the two stayed in that field, making a snowman bigger than any other Elie had ever seen. When it was done, Elie went to the nearest market and bought all the necessary items – a carrot, several buttons, a scarf, and a pair of gloves. By the time it was finished, the snowman towered over even Haru – who was much taller than Elie – and looked like a giant person, with lumps instead of limbs.

"It's done! He's done! She's done! And I don't feel cold anymore!" Haru cried, dancing around the snowman. Elie laughed, rubbing her hands together. "Come on, Elie! Dance with me!" Without warning, he grabbed her hands and dragged her into the weird dance of his. Elie laughed again, trying to keep up with him.

Collapsing into the snow, Elie stared at the sky. "You know, Haru," she said softly, breathing heavily from the dance, "since it's two in the morning and technically 12-31, tomorrow is my birthday." He nodded, watching her with an expression he hoped greatly she couldn't read. "I can't believe it. I'll be seventeen, which means I only have a year and a half left in school."

Haru nodded, wondering if she was afraid. "Don't worry, Elie. Graduating and turning seventeen is just a part of life! Look at Musica, Let, and Julia! They're _out_ of school, and working! Besides, as long as the five of us stick together, there isn't anything that we can't get past. Right?" Elie smiled, closing her eyes and nodding.

A few minutes passed in silence as the two watched the stars. "You know, I don't want to go any big parties tonight. I just want to sit out and watch the stars as the year changes!" Elie said, sitting up and smiling at Haru. "Just the two of us! No alcohol, no smoke, no loud music. Just us, and the stars."

That really didn't sound all that bad. "Alright then. We'll do just that tonight. Think of it as an early birthday gift," he said, wrapping an arm around her again. She leaned against him, watching the stars still through her foggy breath. "I promise."

A few more minutes passed in silence, the only noise being Elie's even breathing. "I believe you." She whispered, closing her eyes.

~x~

Author's Note: OK, I didn't actually write in her birthday, but you know what? This chapter is almost 6,000 words. So, yeah.  
I hope you all liked it, and if you read _please go and post something in my new forum!!!_  
Love, E x p e r i m e n t .3173.


	5. Chapter 5: Elie Omitted

Falling Away

~x~

Author's Note: OK, I'd like to let you all know that updates are gonna remain as they usually are – once a day, or once every other day. This weekend rocked my socks, (ish) so it's all good! Sorry to anyone who was expecting updates to come three at a time. Haha. Oh, by the way, this chapter is going to be split up into Let/Julia, then Musica, then Elie, then Haru as the person as the main. Oh, and be warned, this chapter is a tad…sad. ;P

Disclaimer: I still don't own any one. I may take their lives and make them my own, but I don't own them.

Mmm…no one went and posted in my forum. xD You guys suck. Just kidding. I love my readers!

~x~

**Chapter Five: Elie Omitted**

Silently, Julia watched the computer screen, waiting for the final question of the day to pop up. Besides her, Let was doing the same thing, only quite a bit more patiently. "Damn it, hurry up! I told Elie I'd meet her to go shopping!" she snarled, tempted to hit the computer with her fist. Let chuckled, not even looking away from the screen.

"Patience, Julia," he muttered, a small smile on his face. Before he could realize what had happened, his fiancé's fist had hit the back of his head, losing his concentration. In the second he closed his eyes, the question appeared and Julia triumphantly answered it. With a chuckle, Let answered the question as well, closing the laptop.

Julia was already up and grabbing a light jacket, yawning. "When are our classes even finished?" she asked, leaning to grab her shoes. Let shrugged, stretching his arms. "Right. I'm off," she called, waving and rushing off. Let waved at her as she left, smiling softly.

As planned, Elie was waiting for Julia outside of Café Tsubomi, watching the clouds cheerfully. "Hey, Elie," Julia called, waving. Elie smiled and waved, rushing over to meet her. "Ready to go get some hot clothes?"

"Definitely!" Elie laughed, heading towards the market. It had become a tradition of theirs to go shopping for the best clothes just before school started, and this year was a very special year for Elie, being her senior year. "I wish it was still winter time, though…"

Julia snorted. "I hate winter. The only good part about it is New Year's, when you can drink all day long and not get yelled at!" she cried, punching the air. Elie laughed, shrugging. "Of course, you like winter for some other reasons, of course." She had taken upon herself to get Elie to admit her feelings for Haru – something she was positive was true but had no proof.

"My birthday!" she cried, laughing. Julia rolled her arms, draping an arm over her shoulder. Elie smirked knowingly, shrugging. "Next winter, I'll be eighteen! Just like Haru!"

An evil smile fell over Julia's face at that. "Then it'll be legal again," she muttered. Elie's face flooded with color, and Julia's grin widened. "That's what you want, right? To make it so you and Haru can legally date?" Elie remained silent, which was as good as a confession in her older friends' eyes. "Just admit it. I can see it in your eyes."

Elie took a deep breath, her face redder than a cherry. "Fine. Because it's the eve of my senior year in high school…I…like Haru," she muttered, not meeting Julia's gaze. Julia 'awwwwed' and pulled her in closer. "But, please don't tell anyone! I've been working since before last Christmas to make sure Haru doesn't figure it out!"

"Now why would you think I'd do something like that? Nope, I want _you_ to tell him!" she hissed in her ear, laughing. Elie turned to stare at her with her brown eyes wide. Julia stared back into her eyes, showing no signs of relenting. "It's your _senior_ year, Elie. Make something special happen while you can!"

The younger girl considered for a little bit. Julia could see her finally giving in, finally starting to do something about her little crush. "Haru doesn't like me back, though," she said softly, waving at someone as they entered the store. Julia's eyes softened in understanding. That's what had held her back all this time from telling him; she had been through too much to not want security.

"Trust me, Elie, he does. I can see it in the way he looks at you sometimes…it's the way Let used to look at me. Right before we got together," she said comfortingly, leading her friend to the clothing part of the store. It wasn't much, but they always got the sort of clothing that Elie liked to wear, so it's where they went.

Elie shrugged, going through a couple of racks. "He probably likes _Celia_," she muttered, pushing a hanger a little too forcefully and watching as it fell. It felt like Julia was hearing Elie for the first time on the beach; the innocence in her tone over shadowed an emotion so large, she couldn't help but admire Elie's ability to hide it. It wasn't as though she was afraid Haru didn't like _her_, she just thought that the prick liked _Celia_!

With a sigh, Julia picked up the shirt and put it on the rack. "There's no way in hell that Haru likes a…a whore like Celia. Trust me, Elie. He'd never fall for someone like that," she said, grinning. Elie looked at her in a expression that clearly said 'yeah-right' and not so clearly said 'really…?'. Julia's grin broadened.

Elie didn't reply, but her mood greatly improved. As they shopped, Julia felt a form of accomplishment settle over her – Elie had given her a friend when she needed it most that day on the beach, and now Julia had finally repaid the favor. She smiled widely at that thought. Without warning, she threw an arm around her friend and halfway hugged her. Elie laughed slightly, awkwardly holding the bag of clothes she had just bought. "Yeah, Julia?"

"I never…thanked you. That day Let and I first got here," she said seriously, unable to keep her grin off her face. Elie looked up at her in confusion, so she continued. "We had been on that ship for nearly three days, and the first thing that happens when we get off is you bouncing towards her and buying us our first meal."

As they walked, Julia could feel herself getting more sentimental than she would have liked. "I really owe you, kid," she muttered, releasing her. Looking down at Elie, she noticed that the girl had an expression that only someone who had gone through as much as she had could even fathom having – true empathy.

"You don't owe me anything, Julia. I'm just glad that you decided to meet us on the beach after that, even though there's an obvious age difference," she said, heading towards her street. Julia watched her go, half waving. "I'll see you tomorrow after class, right?" Elie called, half turned. The older woman nodded, turning away and entering the café, feeling as though she'd like to have Elie as her Maid of Honor at her wedding in years to come.

* * *

"We got it, man," a hushed whisper came, holding up a small scarf. Musica grinned widely, glancing over his shoulder before taking it. The scarf was warm, but he could almost feel the cool metal beneath it. "Congratulations, you're now officially a member."

Musica grinned, adjusting his cigarette with his teeth. Perfect. "Great," he said, pulling the scarf into his bag. The others nodded, slipping a small piece of paper into his hand. "What's this?" Musica asked, starting to unfold it. The one that gave it to him slapped his hand, stopping him. The ones around him shook their head, and he understood – it was for his eyes only, from the leader.

Without a word, he turned and walked off, one hand clutching the piece of paper in one hand, and the scarf in the other. "Hey, Musica!" someone called. Smirking casually, he turned and waved as one of his best friends came running towards him, clutching a large shopping bag. "Where have you been the last couple days?"

"I've been busy with Hebi," he lied smoothly, shrugging. Elie nodded in understand, glancing at his balled fist. "You and Julia just get done shopping or something?" he asked, changing the subject carefully. The younger girl nodded happily, and Musica lightly tapped the bag. "Jesus, you guys get way too much clothes."

Elie rolled her eyes, crossing her arms against her chest. Musica grinned, shrugging and leading the way back to his apartment. "What's in the bag?" Elie asked innocently, poking it. In a single movement, he pulled the bag free of her fingers, shaking his head. Understanding dawned over Elie, and she nodded. "They let you join?"

"Yeah. Even got myself a mission," he said under his breath. Elie was the only person he had confided in about his plans to join a gang – it was just the start, as soon he'd rise through the ranks and start his own gang. "You didn't tell anyone – Let, Julia, Haru – right?" Elie shook her head slightly, rubbing her eyes. "You OK?"

Elie nodded. "Just a bit tired. I've been like this all week," she admitted, yawning. Musica stared at her curiously, and she laughed. "Don't worry about it, Musica." Musica stared at her, doing just that. Noticing this, she sighed and rolled her eyes. "I've been having headaches lately, and sometimes they go really late into the night, making sleep impossible."

Now he was really worried. Headaches, as he knew all too well, were a very serious matter. Rize's illness had started with constant headaches, and he did nothing about it until Musica saw him coughing up blood. "Elie, how bad do these headaches of yours start off?" he asked, stopping. She stopped as well, blinking. "Like, do they start off _bad_, or weak and get bad?"

"Usually, they start off as sort of a…prick, in my temple. Then, it just kinda…spreads, to all over my head. Why?" she replied after a second of thinking. Musica relaxed slightly – Rize's headaches had just appeared out of the blue, throbbing painfully throughout his entire body. At least this wasn't _that_ serious. Not yet, anyways.

The two walked in silence for a little bit before Elie finally sighed. "Sometimes they start out really bad, and get even worse. But not often." Musica stared at her, his cigarette dropping from his mouth. "Listen," Elie said seriously, staring up at him, "don't tell anyone. Especially not Haru."

"Elie, this is _serious_! You need to tell Sieg or something!" he said, grabbing her shoulders. "You're like the baby sister I never had a chance to have, you know. My foster dad _died_ because he ignored a headache!" he said, shaking her slightly. Elie glanced down at her hands for a second before looking back at him, smiling.

Slowly, she pulled herself free, waving. "And that's good enough for me, Musica, honestly," she said, turning to leave. Just as she was about to run off, she was stopped by a man about the same size as Haru, but this kid couldn't have been more different.

He had long hair the color of gold and narrow eyes to match. He was muscled, that was obvious, but chose to hide it behind a long sleeved shirt with long pants. He had a scar under his right eye, and a black cloth wrapped right on his hairline. "Ah! S-sorry!" Elie said automatically, staring up at the boy. He was the same height as Haru, but Musica immediately didn't trust him. _He_ was a bad guy, so he knew what he was talking about when he said this guy was nothing good.

"Don't even worry about it," he said. His voice was smoother than silk, and yet raspy. It made the hairs on the back of Musica's neck stand out, though Elie seemed fine. "I'm sorry for not paying attention to where I was going in the first place. I'm new, so I don't really have an idea of the island yet." Musica's eyes narrowed; he talked formally, and it just made him not like the guy all the more.

Elie smiled cheerfully, and Musica inwardly groaned – he could already see her inviting him to 'meet them at the beach at noon'. For the first time since he had met her, Musica wished that she would suddenly become shy and afraid of strangers. "Really? Where did you live before this?"

Part of him wanted to snatch up Elie and drag her to Haru's house when he saw how that guy was looking at her – he was watching her as if she was a piece of sirloin steak that he couldn't wait to devour. "A rather large island off the coast of Song Continent. From what I can see, it was several times larger than this one," he said, glancing at Musica and then back to Elie.

"What did you say you're name was?" Musica said before Elie could ask any more questions. The guy raised one gold eyebrow, catching on rather quickly. All the more reason to take Elie and drag her away.

"I didn't, but my name is Lucia. Lucia Raregroove," he said, smiling down at Elie. She glanced back to Musica for a second before turning back to Lucia and smiling happily. After introducing herself and Musica, she looked down at her cell phone. "Elie? That rings a bell," he said without even glancing up at Musica.

Something about his tone made Musica tense. _Something, _he thought worriedly_, was about to happen._

* * *

Elie stared up at Lucia carefully, trying to see if she could remember him. "You look a little familiar too," she said uncertainly, titling her head. He definitely did look familiar, but she was drawing a complete blank about who it might be.

"Hey, Elie! Musica!" Haru called from behind them. Elie felt her heart rate increase automatically, and turned to wave. He was running towards them, his black jacket and no shirt combination showing off his muscles. Quickly, she averted her eyes back to his face, hoping that she wasn't blushing _too_ noticeably. When he reached them, he smiled down at Elie and glanced at Lucia. "Who's the new dude?"

Lucia frowned, but Elie chose to ignore it. She's probably frown if someone said 'who's the new chick?' when she had first moved her. Just as she was about to speak, Lucia cut her off, "My name is Lucia Raregroove. Who're you?"

For a few seconds, Haru and Lucia had a stare down that made Elie rather uncomfortable. She looked between the two, wondering what was going through Haru's head – it was rare, but she couldn't seem to guess. "Oh, this is Haru Glory. He's my very best friend, along with Musica!" Elie finally said, grinning. The stare down was broken as both eyes turned to stare at _her_. Elie looked between the gold and the purple, wondering which one was more abnormal.

"How long have you lived here, Lucia?" Haru asked, grabbing Elie's arm and slightly pulling her back. This action was not missed by Lucia, whose grin broadened considerably. He shrugged, mentally calculating. Elie glanced up at Haru, seeing a form of anger she hadn't seen in a very long time – since he beat the crap out Branch, actually.

Elie wondered if Haru and Lucia knew each other. Though, it couldn't be possible, as Lucia had just moved here, and the only time Haru had left the island was to make that giant snowman outside of Hip Hop Town. The memory from that trip made Elie smile widely, thinking back to her seventeenth birthday and she suddenly grew impatient for her eighteenth. "About a week now. I was helping my Father unpack, so today is my first time exploring the island."

"Do you want a tour guide?" Elie asked before she could stop herself. Musica and Haru seemed to have some weird reluctance to talk to this guy, but Elie thought he was probably just lonely. As she stared at him, she suddenly realized where the familiarity came from, "I knew you! Back when I lived on the mainland!" she exclaimed, pointing at him.

Musica muttered a soft 'what the hell?' behind them, and Elie could feel his gaze on the side of her head. Haru narrowed his eyes, looking between Lucia and Elie. "No way. This guy is way too creepy to be the guy you described to me," he said flatly, rolling his eyes. Musica snorted back a laugh behind them, but Elie wasn't amused.

"I'm serious! Did you ever live in Experiment, Lucia?" she asked kindly, pulling her arm free from Haru's. The new guys' eyes widened in surprise, and he nodded. "See? I told you."

Both Musica and Haru rolled their eyes. "That doesn't prove _anything_, Elie. Experiment is the largest city in Song, so the dude you're thinking about probably still lives there," Musica said, stepping forward. Elie crossed her arms, shaking her head firmly – she was positive that this guy was the same one she had known in elementary school.

Lucia seemed to agree with her, to her amusement. "No, I do believe that I know what she's talking about. The two of us were rather…close in Experiment," he said, staring at Haru in expectation. Elie felt her heart jump to the throat – this might be the same guy as the one she had known, but he was most certainly not the same _person_. He made Elie want to crawl into bed, just at the way he was looking at Haru.

"Wow, cool for you. I've been Elie's _best friend_ since she moved, and since she's lived here for a little over ten years, I guess I win," Haru replied coldly, pushing Elie behind him fully now. This time, she didn't argue, glancing at Musica fearfully. He wasn't looking at her though, but instead glaring at Lucia dangerously.

An awkward silence settled over them, broken only by the sound of Elie's bag moving in the wind. "Uh, well, I have to go and wash these clothes before school starts tomorrow," she said, turning to leave. Haru nodded, following her. Musica lagged behind for a little bit, and then followed behind closely.

"That kid gives me the creeps," he muttered, glancing behind him. "Shit, he's following us!" The three of them stopped, Haru standing in front of Elie protectively. Though she knew it was not the best moment – who knew what Lucia could do? – she felt her heart flutter. Haru really did care about her, if only as friends. That was good enough for her.

"Elie, wait," Lucia said in his raspy-silk voice. Elie felt Musica tense behind her, but didn't look away. When Lucia was about ten feet away, Haru lunged forward, his fist balled up. Just as Elie was about to scream, she watched as Haru missed entirely, and hit the ground. Rather, Lucia had done nothing to attack, so Haru just went flying past him.

Lucia stepped right in front of her, grabbing her chin. "Wha-what?" she asked, automatically leaning away. In the second before _it_ happen, Elie felt her heart increase to new levels, and heard her head scream 'NO!' but at the same time, her body had no idea what was going to happen.

Before she could ask any more questions, Lucia leaned in and pressed his lips against her own. Her whole body shut down, and she felt her face go pale. She could feel his lips against her with an acuteness she didn't even know she had had; his warm breath made trails of ice across her mouth, but she still did nothing to move away. Her mind was screaming at her to start moving, but her body was too surprised. Finally, she felt his lips part against her, and she pushed himself away, only resulting in falling to her knees.

"What…what was that?!" she demanded, tears spilling over her eyes automatically. She wrapped one arm around her stomach and began wiping her mouth, trying to erase the taste of him out of her mouth. Before she could stop them, more tears spilled over, making tracks down her red cheeks. "How…how h-horrible. Th-that was my…my f-first…"

Lucia, who had remained quiet, only watching her, suddenly burst out laughing. "Your first kiss?" he asked. Elie turned to glare at him through her tears and watched as he covered his eyes as he laughed. He peeked out at her, and licked his lip. "I know you quite well, child of –"

"You bastard!!" Haru screamed, lunging at her. Elie covered her eyes again, trying to regain control of herself. She had been…saving that first kiss. For someone special. _For Haru…_

* * *

Haru had never felt a rage like this before. It felt fire was coursing through his veins instead of blood. He wanted to _kill_ Lucia. He wanted to hurt him so bad, he'd regret ever looking at Elie. Not even when he realized that Cattleya was coming from bruises caused by Branch had he felt this angry. Musica shouted something at him, but Haru could only hear his blood pounding in his ears.

Just as he reached Lucia, something hit his head and pushed him back, sliding on the ground several feet before falling on his ass. Musica was flying in a direction two feet away, but Haru still didn't care; Elie was alone with Lucia again. "Elie!" he screamed, standing up.

Lucia laughed, and started walking away, half turned to look at Elie. "Elie," he said, making more fire flood through Haru – how _dare_ he even speak her name?! "You and I shall meet again, very soon." He continued to leave, but Haru wanted him back. He wanted to wring his neck and _kill_ him.

"You bastard, get back here!" he screamed, standing up and heading to attack him. Musica caught him around the middle, stopping. "Get off me! I need to kill him!" he screamed, struggling still.

"You're in no shape to fight anyone, Haru! Besides," he said, grabbing his chin and forcing him to look at Elie, who was still sitting on the ground crying, "we have something else to deal with." Haru nodded, and Musica released him so he could run over to her.

Immediately, Haru wrapped his arms around her, and she cried against his chest. "H-Haru…that m-monster…he…he…" she sobbed, unable to form the sentence. Haru felt his heart drop, and he stroked her hair softly, holding her closely to his chest, which he was suddenly very aware of the fact that it was bare.

"Elie," he muttered, rubbing her back in what he hoped was comforting. Before he could say anything else, Musica knelt down next to them, staring at her in true concern. Several shouts of her name broke through the haze Haru was feeling, and three pairs of footsteps thundered next to them as Sieg, Let, and Julia all knelt around her.

"What happened?" Sieg demanded, pushing past Musica, who happily moved out of the way. Elie sobbed, shaking her head and grabbing onto Haru's jacket for dear life. Seeing he would get no answer out of her, he turned to Musica who explained in short what happened. Anger flashed before Sieg's eyes, but he managed to stay calm and rub her back. "Elie…"

Julia, however, seemed liable to find Lucia and kill him. Haru was tempted to tell her to wait until Elie was done; he'd join her. He stayed quiet, simply holding his best friend. "If I ever see that kid again, I'll kill him!" Musica vowed, making a fist.

Elie, who finally seemed to be getting a hold of herself, shook her head, pushing away from Haru slightly to stare at them all. "N-no, guys…it's…its f-fine," she muttered, wiping her eyes. In that second, Haru couldn't help but admire her; she still, after everything, detested being worried over. Even after a bastard straight from hell appeared and _kissed _her.

"Like Hell it is," Sieg replied, speaking everyone's thoughts. "Haru, I can take her from here," he muttered, grabbing her elbows and hoisting her up. She went willing, though she stared down at Haru longingly. It made Haru's heart flutter; she'd rather sit on the dirty ground and cry in his bare chest than go home with her foster parent of – finally – one year. "I'll keep her safe."

Haru nodded – Sieg had a right to take her home. With an arm draped over her shoulders to help support her, Sieg led Elie away, carrying her bag carefully. Once they were out of earshot, Julia stood up and cracked her knuckles. "Who's coming with me to go find that bastard?" she asked, glancing around at the others.

"Leave it, Julia," Haru muttered, standing up and glancing down at his chest – Elie's tears and clung to his jacket and chest, but he made no move to ruin it. "Just…leave it." Julia started at him like he was crazy, and he shrugged. "Julia, she said not to worry about it. If it happens again," he said under his breath, "then he kill him."

Without another word, Haru turned and left, wanting desperately to go find Lucia with Julia and kill him. He knew it would only upset her even more; she had watched too many die for her sake to be comfortable with even talking about the topic. Haru stopped at the beach, leaning against the wall that was the entrance to the sand, sighing heavily.

He had known about his feelings for Elie since before last Christmas, but never had he ever seriously wanted to do anything about them. He knew that she didn't feel the same way, so he ultimately kept his mouth shut, but now…now he wanted to hurt every guy that came in contact with her. Starting with Lucia.

~**~ **(author's note: this will be my new little break for something new, like a new day/month/week/whatever. The three stars will be a shift in main character. Ok?)**

The next morning, Haru still felt just as crappy, if not worse. As he lay in bed staring at the ceiling, a feeling in his gut told him that something bad had happened…something so horrible, he wasn't sure if he'd survive it. Remembering the kiss from yesterday, he swung out of bed and went to the bathroom thinking it was because Lucia looked like he'd be at school with them.

Once he was done with his morning routine – shower, brush teeth, dress, style hair – he grabbed his bag and grinned as he imagined Elie's expression; he had, after all, refused to use any form of bag since he got to Middle School. His sister was still asleep, so he quietly sneaked down to the kitchen and grabbed some food, and headed for the door.

Just as he reached the back door, he froze; there were people standing out in his yard, talking loud enough to be heard through the screen. "Go in and tell him, Cattleya!" Gemma was saying. Haru pressed his back against the wall to not be seen, curiosity taking over.

"Gemma, I'm not going to be the one to tell him. You know about it more than I do, so you tell him!" his older sister hissed back, stamping her foot against the door. Haru felt his head spin – tell him what?

Before he could eavesdrop any more – if Cattleya caught him, all Hell'd break lose – he threw his apple in the air and exited the house, silencing the conversation. "Mornin' sis, Gemma. What are you guys doin' up?" he asked casually, taking a large bite of his apple. The two exchanged a dark look, and the teenager noticed that Cattleya's eyes were rimmed red – she had been crying.

"Er, Haru…Sieg Hart is looking for you. He said that you can stop by after class if you want, but he needs to talk to you…he said," Gemma stammered out, glaring at Cattleya. Haru faked a grin, nodding and turning to leave. With one hand waved, he waited until he was out of sight and earshot to throw the apple and start sprinting – Sieg needing to see him meant something was wrong with Elie.

Since Sieg and Elie lived across town, it took Haru several minutes before he finally appeared at the edge of their house, panting and trying to see through his mess of hair that had fallen in his eyes. Pushing it back, he stared at Sieg, who was sitting on the steps with his head in his hands, shaking slightly. "Sieg…?" Haru gasped out, stepping forward carefully.

The foster parent looked up slowly, tears clinging to his tattoo and cheeks. Haru nearly stepped away – Sieg had never cried, Elie said. His eyes were rimmed with a red that did not make Haru think of love, as some shades did, but pain. Pain, and fear. "Haru…"

Worry coursed through his body. "Sieg, is everything…alright?" he asked, knowing it was the dumbest question he could have asked. Apparently, Sieg thought so as well, as he did not reply, but stared into his eyes, trying to tell him something without words. Haru rejected the silent message in fear of what it may be, shaking his head, "Elie…where is she?"

This time, Sieg made a strangled noise like that of a wounded animal, burying his head in his hands again. Haru felt his legs start to shake, and his bag slipped from his fingers numbly. "I…I c-couldn't stop…couldn't stop h-him…Noth-nothing I did made him stop…and n-now…Elie…she's…she's…" he manged to sob out, looking up at Haru and shaking his head. Without feeling it, Haru sunk to his knees, his breath coming in jagged sounds. "He…he t-took her, Haru. He took her, and I…I don't know w-who he is, or…or wh-what he wants…"

"Is she…is s-she…?" Haru tried to ask, feeling his heart slowly begin to crack in two. Sieg, guessing at what he was about to ask, shook his head. The crack that had appeared in Haru's heart suddenly mended itself, and a tiny ray of hope shot through him, giving him the energy to stand again. "She's…alive?"

This time, Sieg nodded, and Haru nodded with him. If she was alive, then he'd find her. He'd find her, and save her from the bastard that took her, regardless. "He…he left a n-note. It was…addressed to you," the man said, shakily pulling out a small piece of paper and handing it to Haru. With hands shaking just as bad as Sieg's, he opened it, horror filling his head.

_Haru Glory,_

_If you're reading this, then that idiot who's been fostering my beloved Elie has told you that she's no longer with…you. Do not fear – I would never kill her. She is far too invaluable to my plans to be dead._

_I greatly considered taking my beloved and leaving, but then I thought, 'why should I have all the fun?' Instead, I will give you exactly one year from the day she is kidnapped – today – to find her. If you do, she is yours again. If not, I take her and you will _never _see her again._

_Have fun searching for her, Glory. I will most definitely enjoy watching as you squirm, and having my lovel Elie all to myself._

Haru felt a mixture of sadness, fear, anxiety, hope, and rage course through his body when his eyes reached the last word. Unfortunately, the person had not written this, but typed it – much to his despair. "Sieg…" he muttered, balling the piece of paper up carefully, "I promise you right now…no, I _vow_ to you, that I will find her. I will find her, and save her from the bastard that stole her away."

"I'll hold you to that, Haru Glory," Sieg muttered, half smiling at him. Haru grinned back despite the situation and started bounding off to school – he'd rally together a search party during lunch and go after classes.

As he ran, he sighed, shaking his head. "Don't you worry, Elie," he muttered under his breath as the bell rang, "I will find you. I'll find you and save you the same way you saved me almost eleven years ago."

* * *

Slowly, Elie opened her eyes and looked around, though all she could see was inky darkness that her eyes simply would not grow accustomed to. Quietly, she tried to move her hands, only to discover shackles around her wrists, holding her hands above her head and pinning her to a hard rock wall. Her ankles, she discovered then, were in the same predicament.

Fear filled through her body, and she immediately started squirming. "Where the hell am I?!" she screamed, keeping the absolute terror out of her voice. Nothing replied, so she tried again, "Who are you?! Show yourself!"

This time, a laugh answered her. It didn't sound like the person was nearby, but rather talking to her through a small radio. "Now, now, Elie, do you really believe that I'll be answering that second question?" it asked, sending shivers through her body. The person – thing, maybe – obviously saw this, and laughed again. "My apologies, but I cannot stay and talk long – I have class that I must run off to. We will talk again soon, my beloved."

Silence again, sending even more fear go through Elie's body. Vague memories of seeing a person loom over in the dark, not one part of his skin or hair visible. Sieg had tried to protect her, she recalled, using some magic. Fire, water, air, earth, and even once thunder, but only once. He must have remembered her fear of it and chose to use others. Though she could not see, her eyes blurred, and tears went dripping down her cheeks and onto the cold floor, echoing across the area loudly.

"Haru…Musica…Let…Julia…Sieg…help me."

~x~

Author's Note: Finally! The first climax! And, I know what you're all thinking; 'ZOMG IT WAS LUCIA, THAT BASTARD!!!' but, don't guess yet! Maybe it won't be! Maybe it will! You won't know until later chapters. Since all Elie will be doing for the most part is hanging against a wall, the only times you'll see her are at the end of chapters, when something like a bath/conversation with her captor happens.  
I hope you guys enjoy this – a very large portion of this was written with me dying of a headache. Haha.


	6. Chapter 6: Searches, and Legends

Falling Away

~x~

Author's Note: Recently, my family told me I'm dehydrated. Since I've been having headaches nearly every day since November of 2008, I'm starting to think their right…er…  
Ok, I lied about the identity of Elie's captor being a secret. xD It's later on in this chapter, for anyone that wants to jump ahead and figure it out. Though, I'm pretty sure you all know. I'm not the very best at surprises, I know, but…it's the whole PLOT of it! And you know what, now that's all been written out (you'll see) I have a completely clear idea of just how this story will go.  
And hey, maybe I'll throw in a sequel. And a short prequel about Haru/Elie before they met Musica. You never know.

Anyways, enjoy the chapter~

Disclaimer: I do not own any character. (:

~x~

**Chapter Six: Searches, Memories, and Legends**

In deep concern, Musica stared down his front steps at the person sitting there. "Haru," he muttered, slipping out the door, "what the hell are you doing here? Didn't school start for you and Elie today?" Haru didn't even look up, and Musica sighed. Silently, he sat down next to his best friend and lit a cigarette, waiting for his friend to explain.

"Elie's…missing. I think Lucia took her," he said after a while. Musica turned to stare at him, the cigarette dropped from his mouth as he saw the tears clinging to the corner of Haru's eye. "I want…I want to go find her. Now."

Then he understood; Haru had tried to go to school, to act normal, but with his thoughts on why Elie was missing, he couldn't go and face Lucia. So, he just walked to the first place that came to mind. "I'll call Let and Julia and we'll help," he said, standing up slowly and grabbing his phone. From the floor, Haru sniffled. "Will you explain it a little more when they get here?"

Haru nodded slowly, wiping his nose. Musica stared down at his friend, feeling a sadness wash over him, as he dialed Let's cell phone. "Hey, it's me. Meet me and Haru at my place as soon as possible," he said, turning away.

"Did something happen?" Let asked sleepily. Musica sighed, punching the wood of his door angrily. "Musica…?"

Musica closed his eyes, trying to control his anger. "Get just take your crazy girlfriend and get your ass over here before Haru fucking explodes!" he snapped, shutting the phone. Haru leaned forward, biting down on his lip to keep from saying anything. Musica stared down at him, feeling tears form in his eyes. He had known for a very long time that the two of them had feelings for one another, but he had decided to let them run their own course.

But now…seeing Haru like this made him wonder if that was the right thing to do. "Haru…" he said softly, sitting down next to him. "Did you love her?" It seemed like a dumb question, but he needed to know anyways. Haru didn't answer except to cover his eyes with his hands, trying to stop the flow of tears.

"More than she'll ever know," he finally muttered, just as Let and Julia came running down the street. Both of them were still in pajamas, but when they saw Haru, their anger vanished. Slowly, they sat down on the sidewalk in front of him, glancing between the two. "Elie…was t-taken. From her h-house last…last night. I…I think it was him…Lucia."

Julia gasped, covering her mouth and Let's eyes widened in surprise. "What…what are you talking about, Haru?!" Julia demanded, standing up and staring down at him angrily. Haru didn't say anything more, still trying to control himself. "Answer me, damn it!" she screamed, grabbing the neck of his shirt and pulling him up. Musica stared at her, surprised to see tears forming in her eyes. Even Let seemed close to tears, though he knew he wouldn't actually cry.

"Elie. Was. Taken. Last. Night. And. I. Think. Lucia. Raregroove. Took. Her." Haru said slowly. Though he couldn't see his face, Musica could already image the way his eyes would narrow in anger, and he also knew that if he were to attack Julia in this state, Julia would not walk away.

With shaking hands, Julia dropped Haru, stepping back several steps before stopping. "No…no. She can't be…gone!" she said, shaking her head. Let looked down at the ground, and Musica could tell he was trying not to cry.

Haru looked up, a determination in his eyes that hadn't been there earlier. "We're going to find her. Right now. The four of us," he said. Without another a word, he began to walk down the walkway. With a nod at Julia, Musica followed, pushing past her easily. After a few seconds, the other two followed, a new resolve in their footsteps. "Someone go down to the beach, someone stay in town and check the shops and alleys, and someone go to the woods."

"What about the mountains?" Let asked from behind them. Haru turned and stared at him with an expression that clearly said 'that's-mine'. Everyone nodded, leaving to go and find them – Let to the forest, Julia to downtown, and Musica to the beach. With a lit cigarette hanging from his mouth again, he headed towards the place where him and Elie had met up countless times over the course of their childhood.

When he got there, he was welcomed by the sort of warm breeze that only beaches can offer. Sighing, he started to walk along the coast, looking for any possible nook or cranny she could have possibly fit in, trying to keep the flow of memories of conversations between the two of them out of his head.

_"What happened, Musica?!"_

_"Go away, Elie. Let me handle this myself."_

_"No. Tell me what happened first."_

_"I got beat up, alright?! Go find Haru and go play at the playground or something!"_

_"I'm almost fifteen, Musica! Just tell me what the hell happened!"_

_"Damn it, Elie! I was hanging around a gang, and they caught me!"_

_"A…g-gang…?! Musica, you're too you–"_

_"I'm almost eighteen, don't you dare tell me I'm too young! You wouldn't understand anyways!"_

_"I understand a lot more than you'd think!"_

_"You're only fourteen!"_

_"And I've been through more than you could ever hope to comprehend!"_

Musica looked out at the waves, trying to control himself. He had never regretted that day until this moment – she was absolutely right. Tears flooded into his vision and he sighed, finally letting them fall loose. "Elie…I promise you," he muttered through clenched teeth, "I _will_ help Haru find you. And when we do, I'll personally kill the bastard that took you away."

* * *

"Why the hell would Lucia Raregroove go and take Elie?!" Julia demanded into her cell phone, walking down an alley. Her boyfriend sighed, and she continued, "Do you think that maybe something has happened since we left Makai?"

For several minutes, Let didn't reply. Then, "Maybe. News of the outside world is sparse as it is. This island isn't affected by much of what the mainland suffer from," he said, his voice muffled as he ran. Julia knew that neither of them were trying especially hard – Elie's scent wasn't in town, and Let had told her that it wasn't in the forest either. They just needed to put up a show to please Haru before he went and attacked them.

"I think even this tiny island would hear if war broke out," she muttered, leaning against a wall. "Maybe we should go. To the mainland, and see what the hell's become of this world…and ours," she suggested, looking up at the sky. Again, Let took his time replying, but Julia didn't hold him to it – this would be a giant decision either way.

"I'd rather we stayed here. Jegan could find us much more easily were we living in a large city," he muttered. Automatically, Julia tensed at the sound of _his_ name, standing straight. "It would, however, be easier to gain an idea of why Elie was taken had we some form of information of the doings of the world."

Julia let out a breath – she hadn't wanted to leave anyways. "Point taken. I better go and 'search' for her. Maybe I'll ask the townspeople if they've seen anything funny…" she said, closing the phone. With a sigh, she jammed the phone into her tight pockets and continued the search again. Jegan's name left a vile taste in her mouth, one that she knew wouldn't go away with any form of liquid.

The last time she had tasted this was when Elie caught her crying by the river. It had been the last time, she recalled, that either Let or Julia had even given thought to the man they had once claimed as 'friend'.

_"Julia…? What's wrong?"_

_"Ah…n-nothing, Elie." _

_"Liar."_

_"Yeah, like you've never lied to anyone before."_

_"Everyone lies. It's all about the timing."_

_"You been hanging out with Let or something? Start making sense."_

_"Alright, if Haru found me crying, and I told him it was nothing, that'd be a really dumb lie because he'd know I was lying, and then he'd feel all hurt because I obviously lied to him."_

_"For a girl who's only fifteen, you're definitely smart. Alright, take a seat and I'll tell you why I was crying."_

_"Does it have anything to do with why you and Let looked so dead when you got here?"_

_"Shut up and stop interrupting me, and you'll find out!"_

_"Ow! OK, I'm sorry!"_

Julia frowned, leaning her head against a wall, trying not to remember the look on Elie's face as she explained. She hadn't given all the details – like how she and Let weren't human, and how they had fled their own world on the back of a dragon – but she gave enough to have poured her heart out to that little girl.

"Excuse me, sir," she said, stopping a man as he walked by without even looking at him. He stopped, staring at her in confusion, "Last night, a very good friend of mine was taken from her bed. A couple of my other friends are out looking for her right now…have you seen her? She's really skinny, has brown hair, round brown eyes, and a body to die for."

Frightened, the man shook his head and ran off, leaving Julia alone at the entrance to an alley. Cursing, she punched the wall, relishing the pain it shot through her hand. "What's wrong, _Julia_, have you…lost something?"

Julia turned automatically, finding herself staring down at Lucia Raregroove. Hatred poured into her body, and she narrowed her eyes. "Get lost, kid. I have better things to do than kick your ass at the moment," she snapped, turning on her heel and heading for another part of town, hopefully one that Lucia had not yet gotten to yet.

Lucia did not reply, but Julia could feel his stare burning into her back, so she turned around, glaring at him from some twenty feet away. "Shouldn't you be in school or something?" she called over, placing her hands on her hips. Part of her was shaking with the effort it was taking not to attack him, but he couldn't seen that from so far away.

"Much like you, I take online courses. You see, I couldn't stand to be anywhere near that bastard while he remained so close to my beloved," he replied in his raspy-silky voice. Julia froze, the hairs on the back of her neck standing straight up. Haru's words echoed in her head, and she slowly took a few steps forward. "I'm afraid that I'll have to leave you on that note, Julia. Don't expect to see me around – though I'm sure there are other people that have been waiting quite some time to see _you_."

Again, Julia froze, watching as he walked off numbly. He knew something, she realized, about the outside world. Of everyone on this island, he probably knew more than everyone combined, save for Sieg.

Grabbing her phone and putting it on speed dial to all three of the guys; she stared at the sky impatiently. "What happened? Did you find something out?!" Haru demanded, answering first. The other two answer soon after, and she took a deep breath.

"Will you guys all shut up for two seconds and let me talk?!" she cried into the phone over their noise. All three of them fell silent, so she continued, "listen, I just realized something – there might be more to Elie being taken than what it appears like. If anyone on this island besides that creep Lucia would know, it'd be Elie. Meet up there as soon as possible."

Silence fell over the guys as they digested this. "He's probably too busy to talk to us, Julia," Musica pointed out. Julia snorted, already heading over. "He just lost his foster daughter!"

"I agree with Julia," Haru muttered, hanging up. Julia grinned – if Haru was in, so was Musica, and Let wouldn't dare not come with her. Musica sighed, and told them that he'd be there. Let did the same, and Julia snapped the phone shut. Sieg would know. He had to know.

* * *

Haru had to admit, he hadn't even thought of going to Sieg about this. He had seen the man at his worst, and did not want to witness it again, but Julia was right. Sieg, who had been on this island for only a short period of time, would know much more about this than they would. Thankfully, Haru hadn't been able to get very far – memories of his best friend kept swarming into his head and halting him.

By the time he reached the small house, the other three were sitting on Sieg's yard, all around a very grim looking Sieg. Haru hurried down, standing behind Musica, "Sieg," he panted, clenching his fists, "we need to ask you something."

"About Elie," he guessed, looking up at them. Haru nearly staggered back – this was not the same person that he had watched sob earlier. His eyes were no long rimmed with red, nor were there any tears on his cheeks. Standing tall, he nodded in determination. "There won't be much I can answer."

Haru snorted. "You can't, or you won't?" he muttered, sitting down between Let and Musica. The man's eyes widened and Haru knew he had hit dead on. "Whatever you're hiding from us about Elie, I'm guessing that she didn't even know. Whether you were doing it to protect her, you can spill now. Hiding it didn't stop what's happened."

The others started at him in surprise, except for Julia. She had already figured this out, and that's why she had called them all over here. Sieg took a deep breath, and stared up at the sky. "It's a long story," he muttered, glancing down at Haru again, "and you should be in class."

"You're out of your mind if you think I'm going to class until I find Elie."

Sieg sighed in defeat, nodding. "Right. Has anyone here heard of the Imperial War?" Automatically, everyone shook their head. "It was about fifty years ago, between two warring kingdoms – Raregroove and Symphonia. This was no ordinary war however, as each side had a special…stone that only select people could use. For Raregroove – the side of evil – it was what is called Mother Dark Bring, otherwise known as Sinclair. The –"

"Hold up! Raregroove, like _Lucia Raregroove_?!" Musica interrupted, crushing a cigarette with his teeth. Haru had been thinking the same thing, but he was too captivated by the story to interrupt. Now that he wasn't, however, Symphonia seemed to ring a bell as well.

Sieg sighed again, nodding. "It's a very long story – do not interrupt me again. Anyways, the Symphonians created a weapon to protect the world – Rave. Rave was created by a young woman named Resha Valentine, who died just as the completion of Rave was finalized.

"A man used Rave for the year leading up to the final battle with Sinclair, until it was scattered. Both the lands of Symphonia and Raregroove were destroyed in a legendary explosion – the Overdrive. However, this is not as important as what I am about to say, so listen as carefully as possible; what Resha Valentine used to create was an ancient power that many still call as God's Gift to man.

"That power is known as _Etherion_. It has the potential to destroy the entire world, if the one controlling it makes one mistake. For centuries, it was not controlled by one human, but the government. However, something that was not documented in history occurred, and that power was lost," Sieg paused, taking a deep breath, "When Resha Valentine died in the year 10015, the power was thought to have been lost forever, or until God gifted it to another human being.

"When Elie was born, as I'm sure she's told you, both of her parents lost their lives, almost within an hour of her own life. From then on, nearly every single person besides myself and the four of you that has come into contact with her as died. After quite a large amount of studying, I finally found the reason behind the deaths of her foster parents, and real parents. Did you know that the members of her history that were murdered all died at the mainland?"

Haru nodded, but the others shook their heads; it was before they had met her when it happened. "She said that they took her there when she was having a bad week. Didn't get much better when they got there, 'course," he muttered.

Sieg nodded in agreement, holding his head in his hands again, muffling his voice, "The reason they all died was because of Elie's emotions. While she was there, each time, she asked to visit her parents' graves. Just to see them, to know their names, and each time…they said no. Within thirty minutes, they were dead, and she was alone again.

"And so the pattern repeated – she'd get close to a foster parent, and ask them to visit their graves in the mainland. Each time they'd say no, and they'd die. Whether it be from falling down the stairs, cancer taking a turn for the worse, drowning…it didn't matter. It happened. Do any of you have an idea as to why it happened?"

The four of them stayed motionless, their hearts beating fast and their faces pale. Sieg stared at them, looking deep into their eyes for the answer they knew, but refused to admit to. Haru didn't meet his gaze, trying not to think of Elie as being the cause for all those deaths…

"Elie is the current owner of Etherion. Whether it be a blessing from God, or a curse that she cannot control I do not know. Etherion has been sealed by her body, but when her emotional state gets to a certain point, it punctures that seal, and some of it…spills out, so to speak."

Haru stood up, pulse beating painfully in his ears. "You're saying that because of _Elie_ all those people are _dead_?! That's insane, Sieg!" he cried, shaking his head. Haru spun around, staring at the trees around her house. He couldn't believe that Elie – _his_ Elie – could ever carry some destructive power like that. "Elie would never intentionally hurt anyone, no matter how pissed at them she was!"

Sieg glared at him, sitting calmly, "Of course she wouldn't. You came here for answers, and I gave them. Elie is the holder of Etherion, and whoever has taken her knows this. I've kept this a secret from her, in fear that she'd attempt to control it and kill herself – or the world."

"Calm down, Haru! Sieg wouldn't make this sort of thing up, idiot!" Musica yelled, grabbing his shirt and pulling him closely. Haru glared into his narrow brown eyes, ignoring as cigarette smoke from his cigarette blew into his face. "What Sieg just told us just complicates the damn situation!"

Haru stared at him, understanding washing through his body. If Lucia really had taken her, then he would try and use her power to… "Shit…if Lucia has her, then…" The others stared at him with an expression that clearly said he should have figured this out sooner. "Then why the hell are we sitting around?! We should be looking for her!"

Without waiting for them, he stormed off, his pulse beating in his ears. Actually, he decided silently, he was going to beat the shit out of Lucia – he'd force out her location from him. Before Haru managed to reach the end of the walkway, a body tackled him from behind, pinning him down. Without having to look, Haru knew who it was – neither Let, Musica, or Sieg had womanly parts.

"Just what the hell are you doing, Julia?!" he demanded, struggling to get up. The woman did not move, and he did not manage to get up. Instead, she pinned him down harder, pressing his face into the ground and holding his arms down to keep from punching her.

_Where did she even learn this_?! He thought angrily, still struggling. "I'm stopping you before you go and do anything stupid!" she snarled into his ear. Haru stopped dead, and she continued, "If you're right about that Lucia kid, and Sieg's not lying about the Raregrooves having that Sinclair thing, then you need something more than just fists to take him on!"

"The only thing that rival Sinclair would be either Etherion, which we can safely assume he already has, or…Rave. Which cannot be simply given to someone with the ability to use," Let said calmly from behind them. Haru ignored this, continuing to struggle in refusal to give up. Elie needed him. He didn't care what happened to him anymore. "Damn it, Haru, get a hold of yourself!"

Finally, he sighed in defeat and stopped the struggles – for now. "If I can't use Etherion, and I don't have Rave, how the hell will I save her?!" he screamed from the ground, clenching his eyes closed. All he could image was the look on Elie's face if she ever learned about why all those foster parents were dead. Tears leaked out of his eyes before he could stop them, and he shook with the force of trying not to cry out.

Julia froze on top of him, completely caught off guard. Haru ignored this, letting his emotions run away with him for the first time since he had realized why Cattleya had so many damn bruises.

~**~

Elie, for the millionth time, screamed out a question, despite knowing that it was no good – she had screamed almost every minutes for the past…however long she had been chained up. Her stomach had ceased growling a very long time ago, but that didn't stop her throat from feeling fire slip down her body with each gulp of air. Her struggles had only rubbed away the skin around her ankles and wrists, causing blood to occasionally drip down her arm or legs when she moved the wrong way.

Finally, she stopped the questions and let herself hang limp, clenching her eyes tightly against the flood of tears threatening away. "My, my, Elie, you certainly _have_ been busy these past several days, haven't you?" a voice said suddenly, the same one from when Elie had first awoken. Immediately, Elie's whole body tensed, and she opened her eyes to try and see past the never ending darkness.

"Wh-who are you?!" she croaked out, followed by a coughing spill. The voice laughed, sending chills go through her feeble body.

Like the first time, the voice sounded more like it was coming from a radio rather than in person, which made Elie even more afraid. "I told you, that question will not be answered. However, there are several that I can answer, if you'd be so kind as to ask them."

"How…how long have I been g-gone?"

The voice took it's time considering, as if it had to calculate the exact time, "It's the weekend after the first day of class, so…roughly four days. I would have returned sooner, but darling, the whole island is high alert. You're charming friend and foolish foster parent have had numerous rallies to try and find you, you know."

Elie gasped, "S-Sieg? Har-ru…?" she repeated slowly, trying to ignore the wave of pain and fear that went through her at this. "You did-didn't hurt them…d-did you?"

"I refrained, for your sake. And because if I was given a reason to be a suspect, that would not do, would it? Do not worry – they are both unharmed, and very much oblivious to your whereabouts," it said in what she suspected was supposed to be comforting. "Haru Glory has less than one year to find you…though I doubt he'll ever see you again. You are, after all, mine."

This was, obviously, news to Elie. Unfortunately, her throat chose this time to close up and burn with thirst at the same time, blocking all speech. "Ah," the voice said, "it would appear that I have been neglecting you, my love. Worry not, I shall send a…'friend' of mine up with food, water, and bathing materials. I wouldn't want you to go too long without bathing, or die from malnutrition."

"No!" Elie coughed out, shaking her head furiously. She was _not_ going to be fed or _bathed_ by some of this twisted man's 'friends'! "I'd rather…d-die!"

The voice laughed loudly, as if what she had said was insanely funny to him. Elie felt tears spring to her eyes, but she kept them open and they did not fall. "Elie," it said seriously, "do you believe that I would ever do that to you? You are _mine_, my love. I would not send some perverted old man to come and even feel your presence, let alone _bathe_ you!"

OK, she had to admit, that was actually rather comforting. "Of course," it added as an afterthought, "I shall greatly enjoy watching your…baths." Elie uttered a soft scream before she could stop herself, which had the voice laughing again. Static filled the room as he covered the microphone to talk to someone else for a second before turning back to her. "Do you know, my love," it asked, "why I have chosen you above all other girls?"

"Because you're a sick, twisted person?"

Obviously, this person did not appreciate _good_ humor, as it stayed silent. "Because you have what I need to redeem my family," it said softly. Elie shivered at the tone, but remained quiet. "Not only do you carry…ah, it is still too early to reveal that particular secret. Besides that obvious fact of why I need you, when I have achieved my goal, I will need a wife. And what better person than you, Elie?"

This time, Elie did not try and stop it – she screamed. This man had kidnapped her for _obvious reasons_ and intended to make her his _wife_?! No. Absolutely not. Tears started falling from her eyes sooner than she could stop them, and the voice laughed again. "H-how can you…see me?"

"An ancient spell I know of. I can both see and hear you, while you can only hear those around you. The only way to see you is to know where you are, exactly. Only I and one other person know of your exact whereabouts, and neither of us shall be telling Haru Glory any time soon."

Elie gasped again, freezing. "Can they…hear me?" she heard herself ask, trying to bet on that one ray of hope that they could hear her, and therefore if she continued screaming long enough, she'd be saved. The person laughed, and Elie felt that ray of hope shatter in millions of pieces all over the dark floor.

For several minutes, the two stayed like that – laughing and sobbing. "What…what is it that I p-possess?" Elie asked after a while, finally getting a grip on herself. The voice silenced, but Elie did not repeat herself.

"Sieg Hart did not tell you?" he asked slowly, his voice drawing itself out slowly. Deciding to stay completely quiet, Elie simply shook her head. "I see…this shouldn't be as surprising as it feels, however…to have never told you anything about the awesome ability you possess…ah. No wonder so many of your foster parents have died."

Though she wanted to, Elie remained completely silent, trying to control herself. The voice laughed evilly, sending shivers down her spine. "Haven't you ever wondered why every single foster family you've ever lived with – excluding Sieg – has died after less than a year? Didn't you ever stop to think about _why_?"

"Of course I did!" Elie cried, the words leaving a bad taste in her mouth. "I've thought about it every day from the moment I learned just how my real parents died!" Tears were falling from her brown eyes once more, she chose to ignore it this time – there was no point in being strong anymore. He had her chained to a wall for God's sake!

The voice laughed, as if everything she said was funny. "Yet you never came up with a satisfactory reason? Would you like to hear the reason? I can tell you things, Elie, things Sieg Hart would never dream of revealing to you. I can help you regain your own destiny," it said in a sickly smooth voice. For one, maybe two seconds, Elie nearly said that she would. That all her life, answers were all she had ever wanted and if Sieg Hart wouldn't give them to her, then this person would.

But then she imaged Haru's face. Haru, the embodiment of all things good, would have wanted her to be strong. To not give into this evil person; as there was absolutely no doubts that this person was the exact opposite of Haru. "I'd rather die," she whispered into the dark, feeling her heart break. Part of her wanted to scream out to him to tell her, to tell her _everything_ that she couldn't answer on her own. The voice sighed, and Elie could feel the bitter disappointment in its' voice.

"You've been around the wrong people for far too long. If Sieg Hart had only waited for just another five minutes to go and see tell you he would adopt you, you'd be mine in both body and mind. Unfortunately, my luck has never been up to par with those of the people around me," it said softly.

That line, about not having the best luck, suddenly rung a low chord in Elie's memory. "Oh God…I know you…!" she said softly, tears springing to her eyes. It was a line that had been said to her on multiple occasions in the few years she spent in Experiment. A line she had thoroughly thought she'd never hear again after leaving the mainland. "W-why…? Why are you doing this?!"

"I explained this to you already, my love. I got close to you when we were younger unknowingly, and it was just fate's luck that you just so happen to be the woman my father spent his life looking for."

Elie shook her head, sending tears flying off her cheeks. "I had trusted you! You were my…my _friend_!" she screamed, her voice cracking twice in the sentence. The voice laughed, filling her eardrums with a painful echo. "Is…is that what that…that damn…"

"Yes, my love, that is why I kissed you. I had to prove to Haru Glory that you are mine – that you will _always_ be mine," he said coldly, his voice dripping with hatred at the mere mention of Haru's name.

Elie felt that she would rather have gone through that day one million times than be stuck to this wall. "Please," she begged, "please…just get me out of here! Please…L-Lucia, please…" she whimpered, feeling pathetic. Lucia laughed again, and each laugh sent Elie's body recoiling back against the wall as much as she possibly could.

"How many times must I say it before you understand? You are mine," he replied, saying the last three words slowly and loudly to make sure she understood. "Unfortunately, I must leave you now. You won't be alone for long, however, as I shall send up my 'friend' to come and help you bathe and eat. Goodbye, my love."

The slight static that had filled the room since his voice appeared suddenly vanished, leaving Elie alone in a deafening silence. Elie sucked in some air to try and calm herself, but as soon as she stopped, the sobs came again, shaking her entire body. Automatically, she started to struggle once more, cutting into her wrists once more. The physical pain was nothing compared to the emotional – she felt that it could swallow her whole.

_Haru…please…save me._

* * *

Haru stared out the window as the rain made their zigzagged tracks down the glass. It had been days – far too long, in his opinion – since Elie had gone missing. Leaving out the majority of what was going on, Haru and Sieg had put together multiple rallies around the island to try and find her, to no avail. To be honest, he was losing hope.

Lucia hadn't been seen around lately, though he would occasionally catch a glimpse of his blond hair in a crowd. Whenever he'd try and get closer, Lucia had vanished, leaving Haru standing in the crowd looking foolish.

Leaning his forward against the glass, he closed his eyes and tried not to cry. The feeling made him think back to a time when Elie had stopped crying at funerals. It wasn't the fondest memory they shared, but a memory nonetheless.

_"How come you aren't cryin', Elie?" Haru had asked, standing next to her in front of the casket. Elie stood straight backed, a patch over her eyes from where she had fallen down the stairs a few days ago, shaking with the effort it was taking not to cry._

_"Because…I don't wanna. I've been through so many of these things, it almost feels routine, you know?" she replied, but Haru couldn't honestly say he did know – he had attended two funerals in his life, one for his Mother, and one for Gemma's father when he died a few years ago. "Besides, I'm probably gonna go through a bunch of things like this, and I don't wanna become a crybaby."_

_That actually sounded like a really dumb idea, Haru thought, but he wisely kept quiet. "Elie," he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulder, "you don't have to always be so strong. Stuff like this are supposed to be sad anyways."_

_Elie shook her head, still standing stiffly. "If I cried at every funeral I went to, I'd spend more time crying than being happy with you, and then that'll make you all sad! So, I'm not gonna cry anymore! Not unless I have a really, really, really, really good reason."_

_Haru stared at her sideways, shocked. He had spent nearly every day for several months crying over his dumb Dad that abandoned his family, and this girl had gone through so much, and she still had the time to worry about his own happiness! Even at the young age he was at, Haru knew that he'd never find another friend like her. With a small smile, he leaned his head against her, and held her closely. "I'll be by your side then! To make sure that you don't go around cryin' anymore." _

_"I'd be by your side anyways, since you're the only friend I have here."_

Haru shook his head, trying not to think of her anymore. It was hard however, not to think of the girl that he had known for over a decade, for the girl that had haunted his dreams from the moment he realized he had more than just best buddy feelings for her. Looking at the rain, he sighed, wanting to go back in time and tell her just how much she really meant to him, to hold her in his arms and do the very thing that Lucia had done before he even had a chance.

"Hey, Haru," Cattleya called from downstairs, "there's some old guy here to see you!" Haru looked up in surprise, wiping his eyes and heading for the first level of his oddly built house. He had heard, from Gemma or Cattleya, that Haru's father Gale Glory had built this house as soon as he realized that his wife, Sakura, was pregnant.

When he reached the first level, he saw a rather short elderly man with a long white beard and a long mustache that reached the end of his beard. He had sharp eyes, but they were tired like someone who had seen too much of the world to be truly content. "Er, hi. This might sound a little rude, but who're you?"

The man chuckled, smiling warmly at the teenager through his beard. "Haru Glory," he said in a voice that was oddly strong despite his appearance. He pulled a large bundle off his back and placed a hand on it to steady himself, "My name is Shiba. I do not expect you to have heard of me, but I have heard a great deal about you, and have decided to come and pay you a visit to see if the rumors were true, and I must say…not one of the things I heard were incorrect! Oh, ho, ho, ho!"

Haru stared at him, trying his best to not let the surprise show on his face. "And what have you heard about me, Shiba?" he asked dully, clearly not interested. The old man seemed to sense this, as he laughed again, staring him right in the eye.

"The first that I heard of you in trivial, so it shall be skipped. However, the second thing I heard about you – from the great fortuneteller Saga Pendragon himself – was that you, Haru Glory, son of Gale Symphonia Glory VI were to succeed me and my legend."

Haru stared at him, his light purple eyes going wide. His heart raced increased drastically, and he stepped back in his surprise, staring at this old man. "Who…who _are_ you?" he asked, not meaning his name. Shiba must have understood this, as he stepped forward, his smile gone and eyes harder than any ice.

"I am Shiba the Sword Saint. I am the man that has lived through the ten-thousandth year of this world, the man that has lived through war with his life clinging onto his fingertips. I am the man that was given the Holy Bring from Resha Valentine herself," he said in a strong voice. Haru felt all the color in his face drain away, but his heart was racing. Could this man possibly be the man that Sieg hart had mentioned…? The one that could help him save Elie…?

"I am the Rave Master, Haru Glory, and you have been chosen to continue my legend."

Before he knew what was happening, Haru had fallen backwards, landing with a thud on the floor of his house. Sweat had popped out on the back of his neck and on his face, but he made no motions to wipe it off. He couldn't think straight, but rather in words that simply made no sense if put together in a sentence; Rave…Resha…Elie…Shiba…saving.

And that was when he realized it – if he were to continue Shiba's legend as the Rave Master…he could save Elie. With his own two hands, he'd be able to find her and save her. "I…I'll do it."

~x~

Author's Note: Bahaha, CLIFF-HANGER! I'm an evil person, nein? Anyways, I'm sorry this took so long (some things came up, but again, I won't bore you all with the details)! I'll be writing/home alone ALL DAY TOMORROW, so I'll try and make up for the delay by positing the seventh chapter tomorrow!  
Love you guys, and thanks to the gangsta of love for posting in my forum~~~


	7. Chapter 7: The End of the Beginning

Falling Away

~x~

Author's Note: To Greed03114; PATIENCE. That'll come in due time, my friend!  
To everyone else: Enjoy the chapter~  
Oh, and I've decided that this story won't be as long as originally planned (which was about 17 chapters). Though I've definitely kept quite a lot of interest in this story, I'm going to have to cut it short…as in maybe…anywhere between 10 to 12 chapters. Don't worry, a fight with Let and Jegan, a Musica and Reina love story, and Elie learning of Etherion will be coming.  
Actually, I think I might throw Jegan into this chapter…or Reina.  
One of the two.  
Or maybe both.  
Who knows~  
For the record, this chapter is a bit on the dark side. I toyed around with the ending part (aka, Elie's little bit) and I finally decided that…it's very possible that Lucia would have done something like this had he managed to get to go to the real world. =/ Sorry guys – I won't make it to graphic. (Yeah, because that'll help so much.)

Disclaimer: I own no character. Not even Plue, who is finally appearing in this chapter.

~x~

**Chapter Seven: The End of the Beginning**

Angrily, Haru charged forward, refusing to let this old man beat him – again. The sword that Musica's Grandfather had forged for them was cracked and very nearly broke, but Shiba had refused to ask for more until the ones they had were broke. Skillfully, the old man charged back, swinging the sword at his pupil. Haru let out a cry of anger and parried the attack, much to the Rave Master's surprise.

Seeing an opening, Haru lunged forward, rearing back his sword and bringing it down on top of the old man's blade.

Cracks appeared in the metal, and Shiba gasped as Haru increased the pressure on it, breaking the metal into pieces. Shiba, having been sent back, panted, staring at the broken hilt of his sword with a smile. "It's taken you eight months…" he muttered fondly, "but you have surpassed even my level when I was first chosen by Rave."

Haru smiled, standing straight and looking down at the sword in his hand which had developed cracks in it. "And we only have four months left to go," he said softly, looking at the ocean next to them. From the sidelines, three older people cheered, rushing forward to congratulate him.

"Dude, you finally did it!" Musica cried, punching his shoulder. Haru laughed, rubbing the spot sorely. Let nodded in his congratulations, standing stiffly off to the side. Julia, however, chose to take a different approach about it and whacked him upside the head.

Haru doubled over in shock, dropping the sword, "It took you eight months to beat an old _man_?!" she demanded, rolling her eyes. Haru laughed again, seeing past her pretense – she was actually quite glad he had finally surpassed his master. "Jesus, you're lucky that Lucia gave you a year and didn't just take her and run."

"Haru," Shiba interrupted, stepping forward. Automatically, Haru straightened up and headed to meet him halfway. The old man was smiling through his beard, his dark eyes twinkling in pride, "You have earned the right to hold the Holy Bring made by Resha Valentine fifty-one years ago." Without another word, he reached into his pocket and pulled something enclosed in his fist.

Haru had been waiting the past eight months for this moment – after he had Rave, he could get his answers from Lucia. He could finally at long last save the woman he loved. With shaking hands, he extended his right arm, holding his hand out to receive the stone that would change everything.

Shiba smiled again, and dropped the stone in his hand, "You are so much like Gale, Haru. While your father was fighting to protect his family, you chose to protect the woman of your heart. Do not forget yourself," he said, closing his eyes contently. Haru nodded shakily, holding his hand up to his face to see the stone.

In all actuality, it wasn't a stone at all – shaped like a very small sword, it weighed about as much as a small pebble. "Rave…" he muttered, feeling a soft tug on his pants. Looking down, he smiled at the snowman-dog and knelt next to him. The little creature extended its' paw, and dropped four other stones into his hand. "F-five?!"

"Yes, five. Plue is the Rave Bearer, and has been keeping the other four safe for me.

Haru stared between Shiba and Plue in surprise – Sieg had never actually said how many Rave stones there were, but he had always assumed there to only be one, especially as Plue had never been seen with the other four until now. The teenager nodded, bowing his head slightly.

Silence settled over the six of them for several minutes. "Haru," Julia suddenly called, breaking his concentration. Startling, he looked up to her only to see her pointing off in the distance. Immediately, Haru turned his attention to where she was both pointing and staring at just to see a large boat coming up the horizon. The last time a boat this size had come was when Let and Julia had come to island, he remembered.

Shiba watched the boat with them, seemingly unperturbed. "Haru," he commanded, "put Rave in your pocket." The teenager did as he was told, waiting for Plue to climb onto his head before standing back up and watching the ship with the rest of them. "It could be nothing…but it could also complicate some matters," the old man said softly.

As the ship got closer, Haru felt rather than saw his friends tense. Musica had a cigarette in his mouth but was not smoking it, and Julia had unconsciously moved closer to Let, who was standing next to her rather protectively. Plue, it appeared, was the only one that remained the same, as he was still shaking normally and making his little noises. Haru clenched his fist by his pocket as the ship drew nearer, a feeling of dread filling his stomach.

The ship, he realized, was larger than any other he had ever seen, with an odd insignia on its' side. To Haru, it looked like nothing short of some squiggles, but it seemed to make sense to Shiba, as he gasped and staggered backwards. Haru turned in time to watch the old man sprint into town, leaving the broken sword behind him. Thinking better of calling out, Haru instead chose to watch as a long ramp came down, hitting the sand with a thud.

To his far right, he heard Julia gasp in fear, and could feel Let's tension. _This,_ he thought, _can't be a good sign. _Slowly, five people and one other thing – it had to be a demon, there was no other word for it – stepped down from the ramp; five men and one woman. The first one had hai the color of burnt oranges, and eyes the color of blood. He was wearing a large cape and had his arms crossed under it.

The second was a woman with long green hair and a snake on her left arm. Her left eye was covered by her sheen of spring green colored hair, but it appeared to be a sort of emerald shade, just like her right one. Her long red dress flapped in the red, and she walked with her hands holding the opposite elbow in front of her chest.

The third was a man with black hair and a beauty mark under his left eye. His eyes were also closed, and he was by far the prettiest of the bunch – especially as the one after him was the demon. The demon was colored blue, with two large horns jutting out of his head and several smaller ones dotted around his head. It had a shadow-looking thing on his shoulder, but it seemed harmless so Haru let his eyes wander onto the next one.

The fifth man had blond hair that fell around his face straightly, and an expression that clearly said he hadn't smiled in years. A blue 'J' symbol with a dash going through it decorated his right cheek, much like Sieg's. He was the only one carrying a weapon – a large black sword over his shoulders. His bright blue eyes flashed over to Haru's right, and though he could not bear to tear his eyes away, Haru heard Julia's soft cry of fear.

The final man to leave the boat was incredibly large – whether that be from his clothing, Haru could not tell. A helmet was placed on his head, and a long sand colored beard went down his collarbone, and he had beady eyes that swept through everyone.

Each person made Haru's skin crawl. "Hello," the girl said cheerfully, waving, "we're looking for a br – _kid _ by the name of Lucia Raregroove. You guys know him?" Haru tensed – they couldn't be good. None of the answered, causing the girls' green eyes to narrow. "Hello? Can you tell me where the six of us can find Lucia?"

"Trust me doll," Musica vouched suddenly, smirking, "the four of us? We don't get along too well with that brat, so, no. We can't." What wasn't the first time, Haru felt exceptionally grateful to have Musica as a friend – it was definitely helpful to have someone speak up when your throat closed up.

The girl turned to him, blinking in shock. "Don't…get along?" she repeated slowly, turning back to Haru and looking at as if for the first time. Her green eyes flashed to Plue and then back to his purple eyes. "Then this must…_ah_. Haja?" The final man stared down at Haru with an expression that clearly said he was not interested in him. "What do you think?"

Thankful he had not just spent the past eight months learning to use a sword, but also how to tell what his enemy was thinking. This woman was obviously not in charge, but rather the oldest of the bunch – Haja. "Find Lucia. These brats aren't worth dealing with," he said in a deep, rumbling voice. Haru's eyes narrowed, tempted to attack him with Rave just to show him what he could do. The group of them nodded, and started to head off, all except for the one carrying the sword.

Haru finally let his eyes sweep over to Let and Julia, and he felt surprise fill his body; Julia, strong, bossy Julia, was cowering behind Let, shaking so bad, even from the distance he was at, Haru could see it. Even Let, who never let his emotions really show, was shaking slightly, his eyes wide in what looked like pure rage. "Let…Julia…_this_ is where you've been hiding?" At the sound of his voice, Julia ducked her head, shutting her eyes. Let uncrossed his arms, one out to protect his fiancé, and the other one clenching into a tight fist.

"What do you want, Jegan?" he asked through clenched teeth. Musica and Haru exchanged a glance of confusion – what the hell was even going on? A pregnant silence filled the air, making it hard for Haru to concentrate on everything going on.

The man – Jegan – chuckled, shrugging. "I'm on business, Let. It has nothing to do with _you_, if that's what you're thinking," he muttered. His voice was cool and slick, and Haru didn't trust him one bit. Neither, it would appear, did Let or Julia, if their reaction to seeing him was anything to judge by. "However, I shall make sure that the two of us," Jegan added, turning away and following the other five, "shall meet again. _Very_ soon."

As soon as he was gone, Julia collapsed onto her knees, panting and sweating. Automatically, Haru ran towards her, ignoring Plue's noise of surprise as he went flying off his head. "Julia…?" he muttered, kneeling next to her. Her eyes were wide, and staring ahead with really seeing anything. Let was next to her in a flash, enveloping her in his strong arms and muttering things like 'I'm here', and 'it's alright'. "Let, who was that?"

Musica appeared next to them, kneeling next the three and rubbing Julia's back in what he hoped was reassuring. Let took a deep breath, closing his eyes, "Julia and I…we are not human. Appearances notwithstanding, the two of us – and Jegan, the man with the black sword – are from Makai, the world of nonhuman races."

"Non…human?!" Haru and Musica repeated slowly, staring at them with eyes wide. Julia, one who had not cried once since Haru had known her, let out a small sob, clutching Let as though she'd die if she didn't. Let tightened his hold on her, shaking slightly himself.

"We are of the Dragonrace. We look human, but we are not humans. When we reach a certain age, we become half-dragon, half-human creatures for a minimum of one year, or however long it takes for you to perform the ceremony to repel the dragon spirit within you. For us, we arrived just after Julia had preformed her Dragon Trail, returning to this form…if she or I were to fail, we'd become Dragons."

Haru gasped, flinching away slightly in shock. All this time…and they had never told him?! They were _friends_, and they had kept something this huge from them?! "But…why is Julia so…distraught?" Musica asked, his hand not pausing in rubbing her back.

Let took a deep breath, shaking his head. "Because of him…we are outlaws in our own world. When he learned of the relationship between the two of us, he committed the largest crime our race could commit – he murdered one of the Green Race, and blamed us. And Julia…" he stopped, unable to speak. Then Haru understood, this Jegan had hurt Julia in the worst possible way you could ever hurt someone who trusts you. An image of Elie appeared into his head, and Haru felt the fault lines in his heart begin to crack – would Lucia stoop so low to do the same to her…?

"Elie…I t-told her…about a month a-after we got here…"

The three boys stared at her. Let opened his eyes, his mouth popped open in surprise. "You told Elie all of this…?" he repeated slowly, allowing her to push away slight, wiping her eyes as she nodded. "What did she say?" Haru had expected him to ask her why, but this seemed to be something he understood. After all, hadn't all four of them there opened up to Elie when they needed a friend?

"She s-said…that…that it d-didn't matter. It didn't m-matter because I was…" she stopped to get a hold of herself. When she opened her eyes again, she smiled slightly, "she said I was safe. Because Let, Haru, Musica, and herself would protect me. Because that's what friends do." Haru felt tears fill his eyes, believing every word. Slowly, he stood up, looking towards town to keep his friends from seeing the tears.

That, he thought, was just like Elie to say something like that, even though she had only been fourteen when they had met the two of them. She had always done so much to make sure her friends were safe, and how had they repaid her? By wasting time trying to find her.

Musica appeared next to him, a hand on his shoulder. "We should leave them be for a while," he muttered. Haru nodded, and the two left the Makai outlaws on the beach to themselves. As soon as they reached town, their eyes fell on the six people standing several feet away from Lucia, who was smiling. Musica grabbed Haru and yanked him behind a thick tree just as he started to call out, covering his mouth. "You want to listen in or not?!"

Haru's eyes widened, and he nodded silently. The two silenced themselves, straining to hear the conversations of seven people just across the road.

"Ah, you finally managed to get over here," Lucia was saying in a voice that made Haru want to go and attack him. Sensing this, Musica grabbed his cheeka and forces him to remain silent. "Reina, do you remember the exact coordinates?"

"Of course I do. Would you like me to go and see her now?" the woman snapped. Haru froze – the 'her' must be Elie. And the coordinates…he needed her to say them. Now. Musica seemed to be thinking along the same lines, as he had closed his eyes in concentration.

"How much time is there left, Lucia-sama?" Haja asked in his deep voice. Haru mentally told him – one hundred and thirty two days left. Lucia gave him the estimated time, "Is she still oblivious?"

At this, Lucia laughed. Musica grabbed Haru around the middle to keep him from standing up to attack the blond haired teen. "I asked her eight months ago whether or not she wanted me to tell her, and she said no. However, if she does not learn soon, she shall be useless to me when we leave," he replied smoothly. The others stayed silently; probably nodding, giving Haru time to calm down a little.

"Her impending future…there shall be none more beautiful," someone else said. Haru guessed that it had to be the other human man – the one with the black hair – as the demon couldn't possibly have a voice as pretty as his. Silence settled over them for a little, broken only as the seven of them retreated down the street, all talk gone.

Once they were gone, Musica released Haru, and leaned around the tree, watching the street. "Man, that Reina chick…what a babe!" he whistled, grinning. Haru stared at him for a second before he finally understood, "Holy fuck, that chick knows where Elie is!" Haru nodded seriously, looking down the street as well.

"We should find a way to get it out of her," Haru muttered, leaning against a tree. Musica nodded, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. "I wonder why Lucia needs bodyguards…think he's been spyin' on me or somethin'?" Musica shook his head, pulling the cigarette out and holding it between his two fingers for a while.

"Dude, the three of us didn't let anyone _near _you two while you were training."

Knowing this to be a fact, Haru nodded, closing his eyes. The two sat in silence for a while, trying to figure out a way to get Elie's location out of Reina. "Dude, do you know why Shiba left so fast when that boat got close?"

Haru shook his head. "No, I completely forgot about that. We could go find him and ask – maybe he'll finally tell me how the hell he found out about me," he said, standing up. Musica nodded, tossing his cigarette butt into the bushes and following Haru as he led the way to his house; Shiba had asked to stay there during his stay.

When they reached his bedroom, Haru stopped dead in his tracks, causing Musica to hit his back, which in turn caused them to both fall into the bedroom. "Dude, don't just put on the brakes whenever you feel like it!" the older of the two cried in annoyance, rubbing his head where it hit the floor.

"Shiba's gone," Haru breathed, pulling himself free of Musica and walking to the desk where several sheets of paper were lying. Wordlessly, he picked them and began to read, trying to ignore the feeling in his stomach.

_Dear Haru,_

_I know this may come as a surprise to you, but I have left. You have the five Raves, and the ability to do everything you have wanted to, and protect the world when it comes down to it._

_For the past months, it's been a pleasure training you. Now, however, that those six people had joined up with Lucia Raregroove, I must leave to go and find an old friend of mine that will be able to help us._

_However, I understand that you have questioned about my past, and I have deflected each question. Now that I am gone, there is no reason to continue hiding my past to you…make of this what you will. A secret passed on to you is up to whether or not to remain a secret, after all._

_I joined the Symphonian Army instead of my best friend because his wife was pregnant. There, I met Resha Valentine, and…fell in love. When I learned of her death, as you know, I became the Rave Master, and fought the Sinclair's for one year before the Overdrive had me on a search to collect the Rave Stones. By the time I found all five of them, I was already an old man…not suitable for a hero._

_Along the search, I stumbled on a town called Acapella Island, and met a fortune teller by the name of Saga Pendragon. Saga-sama has the ability to see into the future for everyone – he is all-knowing about you just as he meets you. There, I asked for his advice on my age._

_He told me to find a teenage boy with silver hair like that of a comrade I met along my travels long ago. The boy, he said, will have just lost the most precious person in the world to him, by the very embodiment of evil. His destiny is to complete your legend was what I was told. Saga Pendragon knows of you, and has asked me to give you his regards, and his best hopes that your precious person is returned._

_Your father, Gale, is not what you think. He did not abandon you. Make of that what you will._

_I learned of a great secret about Elie's whereabouts – you will need to be told exactly where she is. Whether it's by accident or purpose, you need to have a clear idea of where she is before she becomes visible to you. Having a vague idea will grant you hearing, but only truly knowing will reveal her to you._

_Ah, before I forget; the boat. On board that ship are the three strongest warriors to the group I told you about – Demon Card. Haja the Sorcerer; Jegan of the Dragonrace; Reina the Silverclaimer; Berial the Demon Duke; Julius of Ice; and Shuda of Fire. Do not take any of them lightly, Haru, they will be steps below you, but strong enough to kill you nonetheless._

_Remember the symbol on that boat – it is the symbol that Lucia Raregroove's father gave to Demon Card before his death, last year. You know what Demon Card is, so I will not explain it any further than I already have._

_Remember, Haru, you are what others will call 'The Sword of the World'. Saving your friend is just a part of your duties as Rave Master._

_Your mentor and friend,_

_Shiba_

Haru read the letter aloud, staring at Musica when he finished. "Alright, that explains part of this. But, you do realize that he took The Ten Commandments, right? What the hell are you going to use as a weapon to fight Lucia now?"

"I'll ask your Grandpa to make me one," Haru replied easily, folding the letter up and placing it in his back pocket. Though he hadn't noticed, Plue had appeared at his feet while he was reading, and he picked him and stared at him. "You didn't go with Shiba?"

The creature shook its' head, holding a lollipop and slurping loudly. Musica shook his head, leaning against the doorway, "Dude, Gramps hasn't made a sword in a really long time. And we should be more concerned with where Elie _is_ first." Haru shook his head, still looking at Plue. Musica sighed, "Fine. I'll ask. But don't get your hopes up."

That being said, the Silverclaimer left the room, leaving Haru alone with Plue, Shiba's letter, and Rave. Sitting down on at the bed, he sighed and rubbed his temples. _God_, he thought, _I miss Elie. _Wordlessly, he flopped down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling in annoyance; as if it was all the houses' fault his best friend was gone.

* * *

Musica, instead of going straight to his house to ask his Grandpa, decided to search for Reina. There were two things about her that drew him towards her – she was a Silverclaimer like himself, and she did not have the same air around her as the others she left the boat with had.

Knowing that this was dangerous – the others would probably take it as fraternizing with the enemy or something – he still searched for her. When he found her, she was standing outside Café Tsubomi, looking rather lost. Musica smirked, and headed right for her. "Need a little help?" he asked her smoothly, one hand in his pocket.

Reina considered him, her green eyes narrowed. "You were on the beach, the one that said you didn't like Lucia Raregroove," she stated simply. Musica smirked, shrugging slightly. "Can you just tell me where this street is?"

The younger of the two leaned forward to look at the street address, his eyes wide. "What do you want with Sieg Hart?" he asked, staring at her. He wasn't worried for Sieg; that guy could take care of himself, but it might have something to do with Elie.

"I don't think that's any of your business," Reina snapped, rolling her eyes, "Just tell me where it is, and I'll be on my way." At this, Musica laughed, leaning forward again. Unlike most girls, Reina didn't even flinch as he inched closer, but stayed in the exact same position she was.

"Maybe I don't know this address," he said flirtatiously. She blushed a little at his tone, but otherwise didn't react. "You know, you're really cute," he tried, smirking.

Reina sighed, rolling her green eyes, "Yeah, and you're just my type," she said, matching his tone. "Unfortunately, you're out of your league, kid." Musica laughed, leaning away again. This time, Reina giggled a little, flipping back some hair.

"How about I walk you there, gorgeous? Or maybe take you out for some lunch beforehand," Musica suggested, keeping his smirk on his face. Maybe he'd get her so drunk, she'd reveal Elie's location…but, that wasn't the only reason he was asking her out. Definitely not.

The woman sighed, shaking her head. "Still out of your league. Tell me where Sieg Hart lives," she commanded, losing all flirtatious pretenses. Musica, however, wasn't quite done in his attempts.

"Nah. Not without a date," he said, turning to leave. Reina gasped, calling for him to stop. Stopping, he turned with an eyebrow raised, waiting for her to continue. "Yes?"

Reina took a deep breath, stepping forward. Musica watched the way her hips seemed to dance as each leg moved that four steps it took to get close to him again. "Maybe I'll just have to ask someone else," she said softly. Musica's smirk turned into a frown as she wordlessly stalked away, her hips swaying with each movement. Unable to stop himself, he whistled under his breath, heading back to his Grandfather's house.

"You want Haru to have a sword? Make it yourself," the older one said stubbornly after listening to his grandson's request, crossing his arms against his chest. Musica sighed, punching the table in his annoyance – the old fart hadn't even let him explain! "Can Haru even _use_ a sword?"

That, Musica thought, was a really dumb question. "If he wants you to make him a sword, obviously he can! Gramps, you don't _get_ it! He needs this sword to save Elie in the next four months!" he cried. In his frustration, his arms were shaking – a side-effect from all the drugs he had taken a couple years ago. His grandfather, having been oblivious to the drug-problem ignored his shaking arms and sighed.

"I haven't made a sword since your parents died, Hamrio," he muttered, looking away. Musica scowled – this was always the old man's excuse for when he had asked about forging a sword. "Make Haru a sword yourself – it'll mean more."

The younger of the two stomped down to the basement, his eyes narrowed in his anger. His Grandfather followed quietly, watching as he started getting the materials ready. "Where is the right material worthy of a Rave Master?" Musica asked, glaring at his grandfather. The older one's eyes widened in shock, but he pointed to a large crate off to the side. "That's why," the younger one said, prying the crate loose, "he wanted _you_ to make it."

Older Musica watched in silence as his grandson set to work, shaking slightly. "Haru met Shiba?" he asked after a while, sitting down. Musica didn't reply, still too angry that he, who had only the experience of someone who had stolen their grandfather's journal for making swords, was going to make the sword to save Elie. It should be made better, he thought.

"Just you wait, Haru…Elie," he muttered, setting the fire, "I'll make you the Sword of the World."

~**~

"Elie, darling, are you awake?" someone asked in the dark. Elie felt her eyes fluttered open, wondering why she even bothered to close or open them anymore – she couldn't see anyways. The person speaking bustled around, and the sound of water moving a bucket caught her attention – Lady Joker? "I'm the person who's been assigned to come and give you food and sponge baths, by the way."

The way she said made Elie think that she disliked Lucia about as much as Haru. "What happened to Lady Joker?" she asked, her voice filled with sleep. She had stopped screaming months ago, or so she felt – Lucia hadn't told her the time, but she could judge how much time was passing by how often Lady Joker had come.

"Lucia killed her," the woman answered bluntly, reaching and unshackling the pieces of metal around Elie's wrists. Slowly, she helped her onto the floor, being careful to not touch the wounds around her wrists. "Why haven't these healed yet? You don't still struggle, do you Elie?" She asked harshly, setting to work. As usual, Elie remained completely still, not even wanting to move anymore.

It killed her to even think this, but she had given up. She belonged, after all, to Lucia Raregroove because she had what he needed. That was it; that's all she would ever be. But, that didn't stop her from struggling. It usually happened when he was there, talking to her – the chills are what made her want to leave the cave screaming. "I guess…"

The woman sighed, pulling the fabric over Elie's head and setting to work. "Jesus, I don't know why the hell he gave you a year of solitude in this place…he should have just taken you and split," she muttered, wiping a sponge around Elie's body. The first few times Lady Joker had done this, Elie screamed, trying to keep the woman away from her no matter what – now, she just sat and resigned herself to her fate.

"What's your name?" Elie asked innocently, turning to where she could smell the woman most strongly. _Is it weird_ _that I now rely on smells and hearing to find someone, when I am clearly not blind?_

The woman laughed. Automatically, the younger of the two flinched – she thought that behind the laugh, she had heard an all-too familiar sound of static entering the room. "Not allowed to say. I met your friends today, Elie. The one with black hair…is he always so flirty?" the woman asked, patting her dry.

"You met Musica?" she repeated slowly, and without waiting for an answer, felt her whole face light up. "He's so nice…you wouldn't think it, because he joined a gang, but he's one of the best guys in the world."

Elie was slightly aware that she was sleep deprived, and should just fall asleep already. But, how could she when she was constantly waiting for the sound of static, or his cruel laughter to echo in her ears?

How could she sleep when even the dark reality was better than her dreams?

The nightmares had come rather recently – just about twenty Lady Joker visits ago. They always started the same with different endings – she would watch as Haru and Lucia went head to head, and always, without fail, Haru could be the winner. Just as he made his way over to her, to finally hold her in his arms once more, Lucia would spring up and stab Haru right in the middle of his chest – his heart. What happened next would vary; sometimes she'd watch as Let, Julia, and Musica died as well. Others just one of them, and most of the time, Lucia just took her and left.

Those were always the worst dreams. "Well, do you want me to feed you, or hand you the fork and watch you?" the woman was asking now, slipping a new shirt over her head. There were only three things that Elie was grateful to Lucia for – he sent someone up every day, around what he claimed was 18:00 (6:00pm) for a sponge bath, he fed her, and he had never made a personal house call.

"I can manage by myself," Elie muttered stubbornly, holding her hand out for the fork. The woman gave it to her, and scooted back. Elie felt around with her other hand, finding the tray and plate after a little bit of time and digging in.

As she was eating, a new sound appeared, causing the woman to stand up and Elie to cease eating. "You may leave," a cool voice said, smoother than silk. Elie dropped the fork – there had been no static, yet…that voice was unmistakable. The woman hurried out without another word, leaving Elie and Lucia alone. "Ah, my beautiful Elie, it is so nice to finally see you in person."

"Get away," Elie stammered, pushing herself back, hitting the wall after just a few inches, "L-leave me alone!" Fear unlike any other was coursing through her body – he had never revealed himself in person until now and quite frankly…Elie wasn't sure just what that meant. Was she wrong about the dates? Had it been one year?

Lucia laughed, stepped forward. Elie closed her eyes and tried to control the amount of shivers that went down her spine. "Your friend thinks he has found the solution to beating me. He has not, since I am unbeatable," he whispered, stopping. From the floor, Elie could feel his warmth, though she tried to ignore it; if she could feel him, he was close. Far too close.

Wordlessly, he reached down and grabbed her wrist, right where the skin was still raw and red and liable to bleed. A soft moan escaped from her lips as she was hoisted up, but Elie made no movement to fight him off – there was nothing she could have done anyways. Her back hit the wall, and soon, his chest pressed against hers. "Wha-what do you want now?"

Lucia pressed his lips to her ear, and for the first time in a very long, Elie knew he was smiling. She didn't have to guess, she didn't have to imagine Haru; she could _feel_ his smile against her neck. "You," he muttered, his breath making trails of ice go through her ear and part of her skull. "I want your power."

"N-no…no, please…" Elie begged, feeling what was about to happen. He had kissed her once – who knew what else he was capable of? He laughed against her ear softly, pressing his lips against her cheek again. Hot tears flowed from her eyes once more, and she tried to scream against his mouth before remembering – there was no one to hear her.

~x~

Author's Note: OK, so I may not have actually MADE it happen, but you guys know what I mean right? I'm really sorry if this upsets anyone, but trust me…this will play into the plot in the future chapters. …You know, I actually feel really bad for what I've done to Julia and Elie…T~T


	8. Chapter 8: Confrontations, All The Way

Falling Away

~x~

Author's Note: Gangsta; That's what I was thinking. If he ever DID manage to take her to the Real World, then there's no way she'd ever be willing. Hence the…  
Anyways, on to the eighth chapter~  
Lots and lots and lots of inter-mingling going on. Oh, and some new pairings are gonna be popping up – Celia/Haru (ugh, I hate myself for even writing this…), Cattleya/Shuda, Musica/Reina, and maybe even a little Julius/Belnika if I feel up to throwing her in the mix (she's not my favorite character, so…)  
EVERYTHING in this chapter is from Haru's point of view. So, he's basically going to be creepin' on everyone in the story…except for Elie's little bit at the end.

Disclaimer: I still do NOT own any character. Though, if you read my messages between Schyra, you might think a little differently…8D

~x~

**Chapter Eight: Confrontations, All The Way 'Round**

"Hey, Haru, can you answer the door?" Cattleya called from the kitchen. Haru didn't reply; he was too busy lying down from his daily training to even consider answering the door. Cattleya sighed loud enough for him to hear and banged down what she was washing.

From his bedroom, he listened as Cattleya politely answered the door, and heard some man introduce himself as 'Shuda'. Instantly, Haru was off his bed with his ear pressed against the door as he listened – Shuda was one of the six that was with Lucia. "There's some unfortunate news I must share with you and your brother, Haru. Is he home?"

Haru didn't need to be in the same room as her to see the expression she was making – Cattleya had rolled her eyes, glaring at the door that led to his bedroom. "He is, but he's being too lazy. You can just tell me, and I'll pass along the message," she replied. The teenager felt his eyes narrow – that was the same tone she had used when she first met Branch…

"Ah, I see. Well, the news is pertaining your father, Gale Glory," Shuda said. From his room, Haru felt the air in the house go ice cold. Gale Glory…the bastard that had skipped out on their family when Haru was just a baby – almost eighteen years ago – was not a name Haru especially enjoyed hearing.

Muffled, Cattleya offered Shuda a seat at the couch, which he agreed to. "Right, about mine and Haru's father. You said that this was…unfortunate news?" she asked, her voice shaking slightly. Haru wanted to go down there and comfort her, but chose to instead continue listening where he was.

"I'm sorry, Cattleya, but…Gale is dead."

The words crashed like weights against Haru's body, and he flung himself from the door. Dead…his father was _dead_. Haru had never before wanted the man in his life more than he did right now.

Without realizing what he was doing, he ran from the house, Plue at his heels. "H-Haru?" Cattleya called as he ran past. Ignoring her for the second time in the last five minutes, he ran as fast as he could away from his house, his phone in hand and dialing three people.

"Guys? Meet me at the beach. Now," he said shortly, hanging up. When he reached the deserted beach, he stopped dead and stared at the waves. Those same waves had been here, over ten years ago. When Elie was by his side, and his Dad was alive – gone, but alive. Haru slowly walked closer to the waves, kicking off his shoes and socks and going in knee deep, pants still hanging from his ankles.

From behind him, he heard them approach, but waited until they got closer to talk. "I want…" he paused, trying to find the right words for this, "to get Lucia. I'm done with just sitting around – I have Rave, I can take him."

"What the hell do you need us for then?" Julia asked irritably. Haru turned to look at her impassively, watching as she placed her hands on her hips and rolled her eyes. "Jesus, why the hell _haven't_ you attacked him yet anyways?"

Haru took his time considering. "I didn't want him to hurt Elie anymore because I went and beat the shit out of him. And I need you guys to help with his body guards. Jegan, Reina, Haja, Julius, Shuda, and Berial. I can't take him on without them being out of the way."

Musica snorted, shaking his head. "There's only four of us, and six of them – seven, counting Lucia. By the time we get to him, we'll be dead too," he pointed out.  
"I'll take Jegan. Sieg Hart can help us – he can take Haja. Musica can take on Reina, since he's seemed to take a liking to her, and Julia can take on Julius. You can take on Shuda, and together we'll take down Berial."  
All eyes turned to Let, who was standing several feet from the coast in his signature pose. Julia was the first to recover, nodding her head carefully, "Or we can ambush Lucia. Berial is a demon from the same world Let and I are from – and he's not anything to take lightly," she explained slowly. Musica shook his head, stepping back.

"I don't fight women for one thing, and I have to finish Haru's sword before he takes anyone on," he said flatly, turning to leave. Before he got a chance, Haru ran forward, tackling him as the waves crashed around them.

"I don't need a sword! He _has_ her, Musica, and I can get her! Why should I wait longer than I need to?!" he demanded, grabbing his shirt and hitting him into the sand. Everyone stared at him in confusion, and it dawned on Haru – had he _always_ been like this? Cold, distant, harsh…unfriendly. He slowly got up, offering him a hand up, "I'm…I'm sorry Musica. I don't what came over me."

The silverclaimer took his hand slowly, hoisting himself up. "Don't worry, kid; we know how ya' feel. Let me finish your sword, and then we go get em'," he explained, smirking. Haru wanted nothing more than to refuse, but something in his smirk told him the wait would be well worth it.

"Fine. But I want to know why he needs bodyguards," he said, glancing at Let and Julia. Everyone seemed tense – except for Musica, who was almost never tense. The four stood in a circle, an awkward silence settling over them for the first time since they had become friends.

_Jesus, look what's happened to us. When Elie gets back…things will get better. Everything will go back to the way it was, and we'll all get back to our lives…_

Haru wasn't aware that he had spoken out loud until the final word left his mouth, and everyone's eyes turned to stare at him. "Haru," Julia said softly, shaking her head, "do you really think that? You're the _Rave Master_! After Elie is saved, you're going to need her help to recombine the Rave stones so you destroy the Sinclairs!"

At that, everyone turned to stare at her, though she did not waver. _She's been to see Sieg Hart_, Haru realized. "I agree with Julia, dude. Saving Elie is just the tip of it – the Sinclairs are still out there, and it's your duty to go and get em'," Musica added, shrugging. Haru stared between his three friends, trying to understand.

"I have to…save the world?"

This had only ever been about saving _his_ world, not _the_ world. Getting Rave…he had never meant to become the Rave Master! He just needed their power to go and save the person he loved…

"You won't be alone. Once Elie has been freed, all five of us – six, including Plue – will leave together," Let said gently, watching Haru curiously. The teenager had doubled over, gasping for air that didn't seem to be coming in fast enough.

Musica laughed, clapping him on the back, "You've never even thought about that, huh?" he asked, smirking. Haru shook his head, a smile dawning over his face slowly. "Good thing we mentioned it then!" Before he could stop himself, Haru started laughing. He laughed harder than he had ever laughed before, and soon, everyone started joining him.

The four laughed for what seemed to be hours, sitting on the beach as warm water crashed over them. Haru even went so far as to lay down, letting the waves soak him completely. "You know," Julia said suddenly once they had sobered up, "maybe I've just been talking to Sieg too much, but you guys ever feel like we were all _brought_ to Elie?"

As the boys considered it, Haru grinned again. "Of course we were. Just look at how she's affected us," he pointed out, closing his eyes as water crashed over his face. The salt tasted bitter in his mouth, but he made no effort to wipe his mouth.

"You two really need to quit hanging out with Sieg," Musica said, shaking water off his hand. Let nodded in agreement, but Julia and Haru exchanged a grin. "Anyways, I need to get back to work. Catch ya' later!" Musica called, standing up and waving.

Once he was out of earshot, Haru smirked, "He's going to go find Reina, I bet," he muttered under his breath. Julia snorted into her hand, and the two of them agreed.

"Actually, there are some matters I must attend to myself," Let said, standing. Julia and Haru stared at him in mixed confusion. Without another word, he left, leaving the two staring after him. Haru turned to Julia, his question written all over his face.

Julia shook her head, "I have no clue. Wanna follow him?" she asked eagerly, smirking. Haru nodded, standing up and offering her a hand up. "You go after Let, and I'll go find that lying cheat Musica," she said, and the two hurried off.

Haru soon found Let, and stayed far enough behind him that he wouldn't hear him or see him were he to turn around. The dragon paused, staring across the street, and when Haru followed his gaze, saw a man with straight blond hair, prowling the streets. "Jegan…" Haru muttered, and though he did not hear him, Let whispered the same thing. Again, Let said his name, this time loud enough for him and several other people to hear.

Jegan turned, and said something that Haru could not hear. It happened in a blink of an eye, but before Haru could even gasp, Let had jumped – yes, _jumped_ – across the street, tackling Jegan. The sidewalk cracked where they hit the ground, which caused several screams from people walking by. "What the…?!" Haru muttered, running forward to get a closer look.

By the time he reached them, Let had punched Jegan so much, his nose and eyebrow was bleeding. The dragon had blood dripping from his knuckles, whether that was from Jegan or his own body, Haru couldn't tell. "You have no idea how long I've waited for this, Jegan!" Let was screaming, relentlessly attacking him.

Jegan cried out in both pain and anger, flipping the situation faster than Haru could understand it. In seconds, it was his friend on the ground, being punched and attacked into oblivion. Let, his strong, calm friend was red in the face that had absolutely nothing to do with bleeding. Just as he was about to step in, Let shook his head just a bit, eyes flashing to him for a second before turning back to Jegan.

The fight lasted for several seconds, and Haru, standing in the crowd shaking terribly, was positive that Let was going to lose. Jegan seemed to think so as well, as he started to light up on the punches. "You've lost," he said, getting to stand up.

Just as Haru was once more heading in to attack Jegan, he heard a very soft gasp. This was not missed by Let, but it did appear as though Jegan did not hear it. Haru turned around in time to see Julia, Musica, and Reina headed forward, and therefore missed what happened next – Let had jumped from the ground, tackling Jegan, pinning him to the ground. "I will…_destroy_ you!"

The police finally started to head over, but Musica and Haru stopped them, "They need to have this fight, or there'll be a bunch more," they told him, grinning. In vain, the officers tried to get past, but neither Haru or Musica would let them, telling them that this fight was overdue as it was.

"Jegan," Let said suddenly, and Haru turned to see him standing victoriously over the other man, "if you dare to come near my Julia, I _shall_ kill you." Haru grinned, turning to congratulate him. Before he could take even one step, handcuffs clapped around his wrists, and from the surprised cry next to him, Musica was in the same boat.

Julia suddenly ran past them, standing right in front of Let, shaking slightly. "Don't you ever do that again," she whispered, touching his wounds gently. Haru watched as the two did something that had his jaw nearly on the floor – Let grabbed her hand and pulled her in for a kiss.

Tears welled in Haru's eyes, and his thoughts immediately jumped to Elie. Let would have never had to do that had Jegan never come to island, and the only reason that Jegan had come to the island was help Lucia…who had Elie. The police headed in to cuff Let, pushing Julia out of the way forcefully. She stepped back, glancing at Reina and then Haru, a message written in her eyes.

"Later," she mouthed, watching as Let, Musica, and Haru were led away by the police, and Jegan was examined by some paramedics who appeared on the scene. "Want me to go get Cattleya, and Gramps?"

Musica and Haru laughing, nodding, "Thanks!" they called, grinning at her as they were led away.

~**~

Needless to say, neither the older Musica nor Cattleya was amused when they rushed down to the tiny police department unknowing of just _why_ they were in jail. Haru was confined to the house, and Musica was allowed to do nothing unless it involved forging Haru's sword. So, Haru spent his time staring out the window and watching the town from a distance, talking to Plue.

"And you know? They were right! Saving Elie is just the _surface_! You and Shiba spent the last, what, fifty years traveling the world, protecting it? Well, the biggest threat ever has finally shown up, so it's gonna be all up to me – and you – to protect it!" he said, spreading his arms wide. For the first time in what seemed like an eternity, Haru was smiling and laughing as he spoke.

Maybe it was because of his sudden burst of laughing at the beach two weeks ago, but he was constantly smiling. Maybe it just because Musica had texted him and told him that he was very nearly done with his sword – that he had one final form to make.

Plue nodded, sucking on a lollipop contentedly. Haru laughed again, placing a hand on his head, "Good thing I have at least one companion to talk to!" he said, leaning against the window and shutting his eyes.

_It was a sunny cave, light streaming in through all angles. At the far end of the cave was a young girl, her round eyes were sunken into her head, and they were colored completely black, no exceptions. Her chocolate brown hair was lank, hanging around her face in uneven strands. She had bruises covering nearly every inch of her body, and a rim of red colored her wrists and ankles, which were shackles were tightly bound._

_The girl was panting, tears streaming down from those black orbs. Where there weren't dark bruises, her skin was pale. "Please…" she called out suddenly, her voice cracked, "please…let me go…"_

_A static filled laugh filled the entire cave, and the girl gasped, flinching away and back against the wall, shaking horribly. "How many times," the voice said smoothly, "must I tell you? You belong to _me_, my love."_

_The girl shook her head, biting down on her bottom lip to seemingly preventing herself from screaming; tears falling from her cheeks. "I don't!" she screamed, the terror in her voice reverberating around the cave. This time, the voice sighed._

_"Must I come down there again and remind you…personally?"_

_This time, the girl did not hold back – a terrified scream erupted from her mouth, leaving her gasping for air. The voice continued to laugh, shutting off and interrupting the laughter. "N-no! Please!" the girl screamed, shaking her head still._

_Several seconds passed, but the girl did not calm down. Seconds turned into minutes, but the girl remained as hysteric as ever._

_"Hello, my love."_

_Again, a scream echoed around the cave, as a tall, muscular man in all black stepped forward. The girl, having heard his footsteps, was shaking her head, screaming and trying to get away from him. "I'll do anything! Just…please! N-not this!"_

_The person reached her, stroking her cheek softly. "I must drill it into your very soul – you. Belong. To. Me." A final scream erupted from her mouth, followed closely by laughter as the man leaned in._

With a start, Haru jumped up, gasping as though he had been holding his breath. Tears were falling down his cheeks, and he grabbed the fabric over his heart, trying to get it to calm down. Without a word to Plue, who was sitting on the floor and watching him worriedly, and passing Cattleya as he ran outside, he headed into town with tears streaming down his face in his disturbed state.

"Reina, you _have _to tell me!" Musica was saying when Haru reached town. Automatically, Haru dove behind a tree, breathing through his nose to silence his heavy pants. "I'm nearly done with Haru's sword, so we're going to need her damn location!"

Reina sighed, "I can't tell you until I'm positive that he won't _kill_ me, Musica. I can't tell you until the sword is completely finished and Haru can use it properly," she said tiredly. A loud thud against the tree Haru was hiding behind told him that he had punched the tree in his anger. "Calm down! Do you want to be able to finish the sword or not?!"

"Of course I do! But, we don't have the _time_ to allow Haru to get used to all of the forms of the sword!" Musica pointed out. Haru nodded silently in agreement – he was going to get the sword, and go to the cave. But, he needed Reina to _tell_ him her exactly whereabouts for the spell to be broken.

Reina must have realized this too, because her tone suddenly became icy, "Is that the only reason you started to talk to me, Musica? Because if it is, I think I might just walk away…"

The click of heels on pavement told Haru that she had started to walk away, but a thud from Musica's boots stopped her. "Is that what you think?" he whispered. The two stood in silence for a little while, and it dawned on Haru that this wasn't something he'd want to overhear.

"You've yet to make me think otherwise," Reina said softly. Without having to see him, Haru felt Musica's smirk.

"Man, you're one weird lady. But, I guess that's why you're so attractive," he said. Haru closed his eyes as he heard Musica lean in, and the noises that went along with kissing. For a few seconds, it continued, with Haru closing his eyes and trying not to picture Elie and Lucia, or his crazy nightmare-daydream.

The two talked for a little while before Reina started to head off, her heels clicking against the pavement with each step. Musica whistled, leaning against the tree, watching as she strolled away. Seeing this as the perfect opportunity, Haru appeared from behind the tree, grinning up at Musica, "She really is a babe!" The silverclaimer jumped, staring at Haru in a mix of confusion and anger.

"What the hell…?!" he cried, a cigarette dropping from his teeth. Haru laughed, pulling free of the bush entirely. "Dude, how long were you sitting there listening to us?!" The teenager shrugged, wiping his cheeks in case any stray tears remained. Musica noticed this, his eyes widening, "Somethin' happen?"

For one of the first times since he had known Musica, Haru considered not telling him about what he had seen. It was disturbing, but he knew it had to be true. Staring into his friends' brown eyes, he suddenly started talking, not stopping once. Musica stayed silent, his eyes widening when he finished. Haru had tears forming in the corners of his eyes, but he refused to blink and let them fall.

Musica clapped him on the shoulder, bowing his head. "Haru," he said shakily, "when I finish this sword, we _will_ save her. And if we don't get rid of Lucia right then and there, then we'll go and _find_ him." Haru nodded, wiping his eyes free of any tears.

Before he could talk, he saw, in full view for the first time in almost nine months, Lucia Raregroove was walking across the street. Haru was moving towards him without realizing what was happened. Musica was calling his name, but he ignored it. The bastard that had his best friend _hanging from a wall_ was strolling around casually, a smirk on his face.

"Lucia…" he breathed, grabbing his shoulder and turning him around. His fist and reared up, punching him across the face. Lucia went sliding backwards, rubbing his jaw and glaring at the silver haired teenager. Haru stared at his hands, trying to determine what the weird smell was – it was sweet, and filled with the obvious signs of fear, though it wasn't something that you'd normally find on a man…

Then he understood. His eyes turned coldly to the blond, shaking with rage. "Haru Glory…" Lucia said slowly, lunging forward and punching him in the stomach. Haru gnashed his teeth, and he continued to fight him, punching, kneeing, and kicking him as much as he could while receiving the same treatment.

"Where the hell is she?!" Haru screamed, grabbing his head and ramming him into the ground. Lucia coughed out some blood, sliding his legs under Haru and tripping him. "You took her!" Lucia scoffed, standing up and kicking Haru in the side so he rolled over.

Despite his situation, Haru glared up at him, panting heavily. "Even if I _did_, why the hell would I bother to tell _you_?" Lucia asked, stamping on his stomach. Haru gasped, blood spurting from his mouth. The blond glared at him one last time before turning and leaving, heading back the same way he came. Haru, too busy clutching his stomach to watch him, closed his eyes.

Musica was by his side in an instant, as was several others that had seen the end of the fight. Amongst these people were Julius, Reina, and Sieg, the latter who rushed forward and knelt down next to Musica. "What happened?"

"He…he…" Haru tried to get out, coughing up blood. Sieg grabbed his shoulders and held him down, calling to someone to get the doctor. The teenager slumped down, breathing heavily. Tears were cascading down his cheeks, but he made no movement to wipe them away. "I'm sorry…"

The blue haired foster father stared down at him in confusion. "For…what? Haru, you haven't done anything!" he said, shaking his head.

Haru gasped for air, finding it near impossible to breath. "That's…just it! E-eight months…and n-nothing," he gasped, sniffling. Sieg tensed, shaking his head. Before he could say anything else, the doctors, Musica, Julia, Let, and Cattleya all appeared beside him.

"Oh, God, _Haru_!" Cattleya screamed, clutching his injured arm. He took some pride in knowing that eight months ago, if he had just got the crap beat out of him, he would have flinched when Cattleya did that, but now…nothing. "What…what happened?!"

Musica explained what happened, his eyes never leaving Haru's. Haru allowed himself to be pried from his sister's grasp and onto a stretcher, something the doctors had just recently invested in. "Haru Glory? We've had quite a few cases with you lately," the man said tiredly, "I really hope this doesn't continue, kid."

The teenager didn't even have the energy to tell him he hoped it wouldn't either. His eyes were drooping shut, and he allowed himself to slip into sleep once more.

~**~

"Elie."

Defiantly, Elie didn't open her eyes or respond at all. She knew it was risky – he certainly didn't sound happy – but she was trying to fight him. Before she knew it, a hand and whacked across her face, causing her eyes to open. Her whole face stung, but she ignored it; something must have really pissed him off, if that attack was anything to judge by.

"When I call your name, you answer. Understand?!" he asked, grabbing her shirt and pulling her as close as she could go. "Understand?!"

Elie nodded numbly, shaking again. "I understand," she muttered, sighing in relief as he released her to pace around the small area where she was. Curiosity was raging in her body, demanding that she ask him what was wrong. Fear got the better of her and she kept quiet.

"You're lucky that you're exactly what I need, Elie, otherwise this game would have ended already," he suddenly said, grabbing her shirt again. "If you hadn't been taken away from me all those years ago, I would not have to deal with your useless friends!"

The girl narrowed her eyes angrily. "Don't you talk bad about Haru, Let, Julia, or Musica!" she cried, realizing too late her mistake.

Lately, her defiant side had begun showing, and she had been refusing to talk to him – which certainly had its consequences. Most of the time, she was as she had been for the past ten months – quiet, fearful, and defeated – but lately, Reina would say something that encouraged her to stay strong. Unfortunately, Lucia did not agree too well with this new emotion, and had taken it upon himself to stamp it out of her.

Another set of knuckles swept across her face, this time drawing some blood. "You know _nothing_. It's their luck that you have not killed them yet!"

"M-me?" Elie repeated slowly, her whole body freezing. Without having to see, Elie felt Lucia's face slowly stretch into a smile, and he stepped closer, stroking the cheek he had not hit. Automatically, Elie flinched away from his touch, but this did not stop him.

He laughed, a noise that would forever haunt her, leaning in. "It is time for you to understand just what you possess…and it will most likely decimate any of these newfound thoughts of yours. Have you ever heard about Etherion?" Elie shook her head slowly, her heart racing. These were the answers she had been longing for her entire life – just _why_ did everyone she came into contact with die?

"It is a great power, Elie. It has the potential to destroy the entire world – this entire dimension! – and it was once used by a woman named…Resha Valentine. Resha used her power to create five stones called the Holy Bring, renamed the Rave Stones after her death. Resha could _control_ Etherion like Sieg Hart can control his thunder.

"Unlike her, you cannot control it." Elie gasped, her head spinning. "Yes, Elie, you possess Etherion, and I'm going to use that power to complete what none of my ancestors were able to do."

Elie shook her head, refusing to believe his words, though they rung with truth. "You're lying!" she screamed, closing her eyes tightly. Lucia laughed, grabbing her cheeks and pulling her closer.

"Do not deny what you know is true, my love. The best part has yet to come, though! Etherion is sealed inside of you, sealed by the magic given by a very strong Mage who realized the truth behind your parents' death. However, no seal is ever perfect, and yours has frayed…more than once. Never enough for the true potential, however, or even a fraction of that potential, but always enough to silently kill those around you when it happened.

"Whether it be from a heart attack, progressing cancer, a trip down the stairs, a gunman randomly attacking…it always happened, did it not? All except for Sieg…Sieg Hart and his damned ability to control magic. He patched up the seal before it could lash out and attack Haru Glory, or any other of yours useless friends."

Tears were falling from Elie's eyes faster than she could breathe. "N-no…no!" she kept saying, shaking her head slowly. Lucia laughed, stepping forward and stroking her cheek again. "Get off of me!"

"I'm going to give you one chance to repent for that," he said icily, "who do you belong to, my love?"

Elie tried to choke out a defiant answer, tried to fight back. But this time, she couldn't manage it. "Y-you are…" she muttered, hanging limp in her shackles.

It was her fault. Because of her very existence, all those people had died…her parents, and all the people from then to Sieg. She had almost _killed_ Haru Glory, her very best friend. Lucia was right…she deserved to be chained to a wall. _Haru_, she begged silently, _don't come. Don't find me, please. I can't lose you…not because of my own power…_

"Correct, you are mine. No one else has a right to even _look_ at you; just I. Now, will you continue to resist me, my love?" Lucia asked, stepping forward and pressing her back against the wall. Elie choked out another sob, unable to form the words. "I know how hard this must be for you, but…it will all pay off in the end. Answer the question, Elie."

The teenager shook her head, lank hair swishing around her. "N-no…" she whispered, trying to fight off the pain as Lucia laughed against her ear, beginning what had become his daily ritual.

~**~

Another month passed, and Haru was finally up and training again. The sword Musica had made for him, a sword which he named Raveld, was beyond perfect. So far, with only five weeks left, he had gained six forms, and was training harder each day to get to those last four.

Reina had started to join him more and more, leaving Musica's side only when Lucia needed or her, or when she went to Elie. Let and Julia were closer than ever, only ever leaving each other's side when necessary. Even Cattleya, independent, strong _Cattleya_ had grown close to a member of the opposite sex – Shuda of the Flames. Haru did not approve, not one bit, but it seemed that of the six people Lucia had summoned, only two were loyal – Julius had left the island recently, according to Reina.

"Man," Julia called as she watched him train, "you've gotten a lot better with a sword now that you actually have your own." Without missing a beat – Haru was practicing against a spear that Musica and Reina had forged together – he nodded, eyes narrowed in concentration.

Musica, seeing an opening, stepped forward and stabbed at Haru's side, grazing his shirt. He gasped, and felt the long edge of the spear whip him off his feet, pinning him on the ground. Musica smirked, holding the point of his spear an inch away from his neck. "Quit going easy on me, kid," he snapped, pulling away the spear and offering him a hand up.

"Dude," Haru said as he grabbed his hand, "I've been training nonstop for the past month! I think I have a right to be a little sluggish." Let scoffed, stepping forward, shaking his head.  
"You need to obtain the last four forms of Raveld before Reina tells you were Elie is – train harder."

Haru scowled at him, grabbing his sword and taking a stance. "Bring it, dragon," he muttered, and the two lunged forward. Julia called out a cheer for Let, and Cattleya called out one for Haru.

The two continued fighting, and this time, Haru refused to let him win. He had to prove to everyone that he could train like this and still take down Lucia when the time came. A feeling that was both familiar and unfamiliar suddenly surged through him, and he quickly avoided Let, and jumped in the air, "Gravity Core!" Haru screamed, hitting Let with the newly formed sword. The dragon sunk into the sand, and Haru held the sword shakily, laughing.

From the sidelines, Musica roared with laughter. "Man, I was just _waiting_ for that to happen!" he called, slapping his knee as he laughed. Even Julia was laughing, holding her stomach. Reina chuckled a little before laughing fully as well. In fact, the only one that seemed not amused by this was Let, as he climbed out of the hole holding his head and glaring at Haru.

"Stalemate," he muttered, walking back over to Julia. The group laughed harder at this; Haru fell to the sand, holding his stomach as he laughed. Eventually, Let chuckled a little. Cattleya and Shuda waved a goodbye, saying they had a date and left, leaving the laughing crowd behind them.

Just as Haru was about to get up, a new sound caught his attention and he turned to the entrance of the beach to watch Celia approach him. "Hiya, Haru-chan," she said cheerfully, waving. Haru waved back, wiping tears from his eyes from laughing. From the corner of his eyes, he watched as Musica grabbed Reina's hand and led her away, and as Julia did the same to Let. Damn.

"Hey, Celia," he said, stabbing his sword into the sand. Haru tried not to let his eyes wander below her collarbone – being a rather warm day, she was wearing shorts that barely covered her, and a tube top that was anything but modest.

She smiled, clasping her hands behind her back. It was common knowledge on the island that Haru was training with a sword to go and save Elie – but his training methods had been kept secret. "Today is such a nice day, and I know how hard you've been working, so," she said, grinning happily, "would you like to spend the rest of it with me?"

Haru felt his heart drop. It seemed like a lifetime ago that Elie had asked him if he would ever date Celia, and he told her that she was crazy. He had never, not once, shown any interest in Celia that way. Besides, he still loved Elie, even after all this time. "Er, thanks for the offer Celia, but I don't really have time to stop practicing. I only have a few more weeks, you know," he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I know that, but can't you take off just a little bit of time? I didn't see you at school, and I was really looking forward to spending more time with you," she whined, crossing her arms against her chest. Haru was dimly aware of his hormones demanding that he take her offer, but he resisted.

He just couldn't do that to Elie, not after everything that had happened. "I really can't. Maybe another time," he said, turning in time to watch as Reina came rushing over. Haru left a dejected looking Celia behind, grabbing Raveld and meeting her halfway. "What's wrong?"

The woman looked more distressed than he had ever seen her. "Haru," she gasped, grabbing onto his arm to steady herself, "Elie's location. You need to know. Now," she gasped, glancing behind her. Haru gasped, and leaned in close to get the location, though he was pretty sure he knew what she'd say. "The main mountain, in the highest cave. Please, Haru," she begged, pulling away, "Save her. She doesn't deserve any of this. God, no."

Haru nodded, putting Raveld in its' sheath and setting off. "For you, for me, and for the whole world…I'll save her. I will finally save Elie!" he cried, breaking into a run. As he reached the entrance to the beach – having passed a very distressed Celia and ignoring her completely – he stoped dead. "G-guys?"

Let nodded, and Haru continued. "Let's go," he said, and Musica, Julia, Let, and Shuda followed him.

_Elie…I'm coming!_

~x~

Author's Note: Bahaha, another cliffhanger! I am SOOOO SORRY that this took so damn long! I was sort of on a mental block, BUT I GOT IT. Anyways, I'm thinking of only having about…three more chapters. (:  
Thanks to everyone who's read all the chapters so far~~  
Next chappie will be up by next Saturday. (:  
So, does anyone here watch LOST? Ahhhh, best TV show in the history of TV shows. Just saying~


	9. Chapter 9: The End!

Falling Away

~x~

Author's Note: For the first time ever in this story, we're gonna have it from Lucia-3rd-person POV! Not for very long, but…just accept it! Baha, get ready! x3  
Hmm…I really just don't know if I'm happy with how this chapter turned out. D: I don't normally ask for reviews, but…well, can you guys just tell me what you think of how I pulled this off? Sorry…

Disclaimer: Again, I know no character. I mean, read my messages with Schyra and think differently, but we really don't. I promise.

~x~

**Chapter Nine: The End?!**

Intoxicating. It was one of the few words that were able to describe Elie, Lucia had come to realize. Everything from her laugh – something he had heard once, but had branded into memory – to the way her tears shone when they fell from the black orbs that should have been where those beautiful brown eyes were.

He may have taken her for incredibly twisted reasons, but even someone like him had to step back and admire this girl. She had never once, not in the nine months he had her, had she ever begged for death. Begged to be freed, begged for him to stop, to leave, but never death.

Lucia took the time to remember that every time he witnessed Haru Glory training, despite what he was currently doing. His friends were not aware, but he had watched every second of his training with Shiba, the First Rave Master. He was still not up to par with his own strength, thanks to his Sinclairs.

It didn't matter how hard he trained – Elie was his. If Haru Glory successfully got her location and stole her away, he'd come and take her. Nothing would stop him. She was _his_.

He whispered this into her ear, enjoying the sensation as shivers went down her body. "Haru Glory was a fool not to make you his, my love." Elie shook her head, splattering tears onto his cheek. Laughing, Lucia wiped it away, staring into what should have been two large, black orbs.

At the same time he realized this, Elie realized it. "I can…see?" she asked softly, blinking repeatedly. Lucia gasped, stepping away slightly. "Does this mean…?" Understanding washed through her, and her mouth popped open. Lucia gnashed his teeth, grabbing her cheeks and pulling himself closer.

"This changes _nothing_," he hissed, turning to leave. Elie gave a small sigh of relief, and in his anger, Lucia turned around and punched her in the stomach as hard as he could. The young girl blanched, and immediately started coughing. The blond resisted the urge to continue punching her – she'd die if he went too hard on her. "You are mine, Elie."

She nodded, coughing violently. "I…belong to…you," she muttered, allowing herself to hang limp. Lucia laughed, grabbing her chin and kissing her roughly once. With a laugh, he left her, going to find the traitorous woman in order to kill her.

* * *

It was hard to believe that the whole nine months had been spent in such a pretty cave. Elie felt tears falling from her eyes, whether it was from the punch or the fact that finally she could _see_. Once she was positive that Lucia was long gone, she turned and stared at the entrance to the cave determinedly. "Haru!" she screamed, coughing again.

With even the slightest movement pain shot up her body. "Haru…please…don't come," she whispered, coughing again. The pain started to overwhelm her, threatening to take control, and for the first time, Elie allowed herself to be taken over. The pain grabbed onto her, and her eyes closed slowly, eliminating the new light.

* * *

Haru was running faster than he had ever run in his life, even with the help of Silfarion. It had been decided that he would run ahead, and that the others would try and head off Berial, Haja, and Lucia if he realized they knew. He reached the mountain and didn't stop – Elie was right there. "Elie!" he screamed, pumping his legs faster. He needed to reach her. He needed to save her, _finally_.

When he was about twenty feet away from the entrance, he paused. What if Reina had been lying, to him, to Musica, just to make a fool of him? What if Lucia had lied and had already taken her away? Slowly, with Raveld back to the original form, he stepped forward and into the bright cave.

Just like his vision, there was a very skinny, very pale girl chained to the wall. Unlike his vision, there were no black orbs, but actual eyes, though they were closed. She had cuts up and down her arms, with dark purple bruises decorating her frail body, and it looked like her breath was labored. Her hair fell around her face unevenly, and a shade darker than it had been the last time he had seen it.

"Elie…"

At the sound of her name, Elie's eyes fluttered open, and automatically started darting around the room as though she had never seen it before. Finally, her eyes reached Haru, and automatically, she flinched against the wall, closing her eyes. Haru's sword dropped to the ground; it really was her.

Elie opened her eyes at the noise, staring at Haru. "Har…ru?" she said slowly, leaning forward. As if the motion caused her pain, she flinched, biting down on her bottom lip. Immediately, Haru grabbed his sword and rushed forward, tears stinging in his eyes.

"Don't you worry, Elie, I'll get you out. And then, we'll take you to the best hospital we can find. And I promise you; I won't ever leave your side. Not until you're one hundred better again," he said, carefully lifting the chain and setting to work. Elie flinched as her ankle was moved, but she kept quiet. "We've all missed you, you know. Sieg actually cried when he told me what happened…and you know what? I've got _loads_ to tell you! You probably won't believe it, but –"

He was cut off by the chains suddenly giving in, sending Elie flying forward. She gasped, closing her eyes in preparation for impact. With his new reflexes, Haru moved over and caught her, falling back in the process. A small sound of static filled the room, and Elie screamed, closing her eyes and clutching onto Haru's shirt.

"Elie! It's me!" a woman cried, her voice projecting into the room. She did not stop cowering, and the woman sighed. "Haru, it's all up to you! Sieg and Julia are fighting Haja, and Let and Musica are fighting Berial – I don't know how long I can stay hidden, so best of luck!" Reina cried, switching off.

Elie shook her head, tears falling from her eyes. "I'm sorry…I'm sorry! Please…please, no more!" she muttered, gripping onto Haru's shirt even tighter. Haru frowned, pulling himself into a sitting position and grabbing her shoulders. She flinched, shaking her head even harder.

"Elie, look at me. Look at me," he whispered, waiting patiently for her to lift her head. It took her several minutes, but she finally did, tears pouring from her brown eyes down her cheeks, "It's me, Haru. Haru Glory, your very best friend, since that day on the beach! Remember? For your seventeenth birthday, we went to the mainland and made that giant snowman!"

She continued to stare at him blankly, as if something else was blocking her memories of him. "I…belong to…you?" she finally said, the words falling from her mouth sideways. "No," she answered herself, shaking her head, "Lucia. I belong to him, right?"

Haru grabbed her cheeks, shaking his head, "No, you don't belong to anyone…especially not Lucia Raregroove," he told her firmly, his heart beating. What the hell had Lucia _done_ to her to make her this way?!

"Not…Lucia?" she repeated slowly, blinking. "You?"

"No! Elie, please, snap out of it! You don't belong to anyone! Not me, not Lucia, not even Sieg! You're _Elie_, and you're finally free. Free from Lucia, free from whatever he told you…please, Elie, you have to believe me," Haru begged, tears falling down his cheeks now. Elie blinked, and understanding seemed to wash over her features.

She leaned into his touch, raising one shaking hand and placed it over Haru's. "Haru…" she said softly, but it was more like the way she used to say it, "Haru…is it…really you?" she asked, raising the other hand and placing it over his. Haru tried not to notice the redness around her wrists as he nodded.

"The one and only, Elie," he whispered, smiling. Tears started falling from her eyes, and without warning, she flung herself onto his chest, shaking with the force of sobs. Haru caught her, holding her as close as he could without hurting her. "Does it hurt? Anywhere?"

Unfortunately, she nodded, "Y-yeah…he…he…" she stopped, the words sticking in her throat. Haru nodded, pulling away to give her space. She looked up at him again as if she was about to say something, but whatever she was about to say was lost in the shock that suddenly appeared on her features. "H-Haru! No! You shouldn't have come!" she cried suddenly, trying to pull free from his arms.

The Rave Master had finally, for the first time in nine months, had the woman he loved in his arms. There was no chance of her ever getting free now. "Elie," he breathed, stopping her in her tracks, "I'm not letting you go. Not now, not when we leave this place, and not even when we see Sieg."

"But…but, if L-Lucia finds us…" she breathed, glancing at the cave entrance. Haru rolled his eyes, scooping her up in his arms. "Haru?!"

Haru laughed, feeling giddy. "I'll carry you down, OK? Don't you worry, soon you'll be –"

He had been about to say 'safe' but Elie's scream cut him off, and he wheeled around, clutching Elie tightly. She was staring at the person there with eyes as wide as saucers, and her shakes had increased tenfold in her fear. "L-Lucia…" she breathed, gripping onto Haru again.

"Elie…" the blond whispered, holding a thick black sword in his right hand, "who do you belong to?" Elie answered promptly with his name, much to Haru's amazement. "Exactly. So, why are you in the arms of another man?"

Elie didn't reply to that, leaving it up to Haru. "You bastard…what the hell have you done to her?!" Haru cried, tears forming in his eyes again. Lucia smirked, not answering. "Elie, stay right here, OK? I'll get you out of here as soon as I deal with _him_." Haru gently put her down against the wall, picking up Raveld again. She flinched against the wall, rubbing her wrists gently.

Lucia laughed, looking at Elie, "I shall deal with _you_ once I have finished teaching this annoying Rave Master who you truly belong to, Elie," he muttered, stepping forward. Haru took a stance, but stopped when he felt Elie grab onto his leg.

"Don't…please, Haru, don't," she begged, staring up at him fearfully. Haru, after glancing at Lucia, knelt down next to her, running his hand through her – surprisingly – soft hair. She flinched slightly, but didn't break eye contact; a good sign.

Before she could pull away or Lucia could take her away, Haru leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers gently. Her lips parted in surprise, but he pulled away before he let himself get carried away. "Rest well," he told her, grabbing Raveld and standing again to face Lucia. The blonds' eyes were wide with his anger, and he was gripping his sword tightly.

"You dare to _kiss_ my woman? _My_ Elie?!" he screamed, lunging at him. Haru lunged forward as well, blocking the attack, much to Lucia's annoyance. "She is _mine_!"

Dimly, Haru heard Elie slid back against the wall, but had no time to see if she was afraid or not – Lucia was just as good with a sword as he was when they had their fist fight. "She doesn't _belong_ to anyone!" he screamed, trying to attack his side. Lucia snorted, blocking it easily. Haru gnashed his teeth, trying to find an opening.

The two continued to fight, destroying the cave in the process. "You aren't worthy of her! I alone am worthy of Elie!" Lucia screamed, his sword clashing against Haru's. "I will prove it to you both in this battle, Haru Glory!"

Haru gasped as Lucia's slipped off his, slashing his stomach. A soft scream of pain fell from his lips, but just as he was about to fall back, Haru caught himself, breathing heavily.

"She…isn't…yours!" he gasped, gripping his sword and running forward. Caught off guard by his burst of strength, Lucia did not lift his sword until the last second, receiving a cut through his side.

The two stood like that for a little, panting through their injuries. Haru didn't know about his opponent, but Shiba had made sure that he had suffered serious injuries, just to prepare him for when he'd face Lucia. "Elie isn't yours," he whispered again, drawing out his sword. Lucia fell, clutching his wound, which was much deeper than Haru had imagined.

"Sinclair…" he whispered, and from his pocket came a steady stream of wispy smoke. Haru leaned closer in time to watch the smoke engulf the wound, and when it vanished, it took the wound with it. Haru's eyes widened in his surprise, but he didn't step back in time for Lucia to jump up and swing his sword to his right.

Haru took the wound with another soft scream, holding his wound with one hand and keeping a tight grip on his sword. Behind was a very terrified, very confused Elie. If he fell, Lucia would have her again…he had to win this battle. "Elie…I'll protect you," he muttered, charging forward again.

"How can you still stand?!" Lucia cried, blocking his shot. "Ah, I see – Shiba has given you the gift of endurance. Very well – I shall make that endurance crumble!"

Just as the two were about to lung forward, a high pitched scream erupted from behind them, causing them to cease. Haru twirled around and stared at Elie, who was gripping her head and screaming as though she was the one that had just been stabbed. "Elie?!" Haru cried, but it was lost in her own scream.

Two small bracelets that had been around her wrist suddenly shattered, and cracks began to appear in the ground. Lucia screamed something like 'magic defender?!' behind them, but Haru was too focused on trying to shield his eyes from the blinding light that was emitting from Elie's body.

"Stop it!!! I don't!!!" she screamed, tears falling from her eyes again. "I don't belong to anyone!" once the words left her mouth, the light suddenly went back to her, shooting straight up into the sky, breaking through the cave as though it was a cloud. Haru swore, and Lucia dropped his sword. Elie didn't seem to be in control of her body any longer, but her scream continued to erupt from her mouth, along with the blinding light. The cave they were in was slowly beginning to fall apart; cracks had appeared over nearly every square inch.

"Etherion…it's supposed to be sealed!" Haru realized, whipping around to stare at Lucia, who looked just as shocked as he was. "Elie! Elie, you have to listen to me! You can _control_ this! Elie!" he screamed, turning back to Elie.

Slowly, her eyes cracked open, the scream cutting short from her mouth. Unfortunately, Etherion was still erupting from her body, spreading slightly. She mouthed something to him, or maybe she was just repeating his words, for something clicked in her mind. She closed her eyes again tightly, and her fist shakily clenched.

Just as suddenly as it started, the Etherion vanished, leaving a ringing silence behind it. This was short lived, however, as Elie stepped forward, lifting one arm and pointing at Lucia with her palm, "You're right…I _can_," she breathed, jerking her other arm towards Lucia, who screamed just as the light started to shine. "I'm not _yours_!"

Haru closed his eyes, diving to the ground and holding his neck – Lucia and Elie's scream echoing in his ears painfully. The light danced behind his eyelids dangerously, and it took him several seconds after silence settled over to open his eyes. Elie had fallen to the ground, a large dent in the ground from her feet to the entrance to the cave, cracks and fissures still decorating the place. Lucia was nowhere to be seen, and Haru had the sinking feeling that Elie had…had killed him.

"Elie?" he breathed, stepping forward. She didn't reply, and as he got closer, he realized that she was not moving – not even to breathe. "Elie! God, no!" Haru swore, kneeling next to her and lifting her head slowly. Above his trembling fingers, and past his own beating heart, he felt a very small, very slight pulse in the back of her neck.

Screams echoed from outside, and within seconds, four sets of footsteps sounded, but Haru didn't bother to look at who it could be – he already knew anyways. "What the…E-Elie!" In a flash, Sieg Hart was next to Haru, staring down at Elie fearfully. "God, Haru, is she…?"

"I can feel a pulse. It's weak, but it's there," he answered dully, staring down at her. For what appeared to be the first time in months, she looked slightly peaceful – if her eyes were not so sunken into her face, and bruises did not litter her face, she would have passed for sleeping. "Seal her. Sieg, seal Etherion. Now."

Julia gasped, kneeling next to them with Musica and Let. Haru looked up now, frowning deeply – every one was injured in some way, Sieg and Let the most. "Seal…Etherion?! Is that what that giant blast was?!"

Haru nodded, turning back to Sieg. "I'll explain later. Just seal her so we can take her to a hospital without worrying that something like that'll happen again!" he demanded, clenching his fist under her neck. Her pulse seemed to be getting weaker as the seconds passed – who knew how much longer she had before something worse happened?!

"Let's take her to a hospital first – we can seal her as soon as we're sure she's breathing," Sieg suggested, shaking his head. "The first time she was sealed…well, let's just say that the world lost one of the best Mages in history. We risk losing her if we perform the sealing at the moment." Let nodded, placing a hand on Haru's shoulders.

Silence settled over as he digested this. "Haru," Musica said firmly, staring him right in the eye, "she'll live. As long as she's unconscious, Etherion should cool it. We can take her the nearest hospital – for all of us – and _then_ we'll seal her." Haru stared between his friends, finally noticing the true extent of their injuries, and nodded slowly. "I'll carry –"

"I'll carry her," Haru interrupted, gently lifting her. Sieg gasped as blood started to pour more heavily from his wounds. Before any of them could dissuade him, he shook his head, "What Elie's gone through these past nine months…what she's going through…this isn't anything."

* * *

Dark. That's all Elie could see, and she had to wonder if she had died. She remembered Haru saying that she could control the magic pouring from her body. She remembered answering him, saying something to him, and then to Lucia. She remembered the look on Lucia's face as the Etherion engulfed him, and his scream of agony as his precious Darkbrings were shattered and his body decimated.

God, she had killed him. She, Elie, had just killed a man. She had just killed a man – maybe even two, if she lost control of Etherion and it got Haru too, and she was in the dark. Again. And this time, she couldn't even open her eyes to make sure that she was even _alive_.

Voices occasionally floated into her mind, whispers of their voices. Most of the time it was a girl, a girl who talked constantly. When it wasn't the girl, it was a different mix of all of the voices Elie had missed – Sieg, Julia, Musica, Let, and…Haru.

Haru, who fought for her, who got stabbed because he was protecting her. That was when she lost control, when the _real_ pain began. Elie had received hits, punches, kicks, and the occasional slash from a sword every day since Lucia began to visit her, but none of that could compare to the pain she had felt when she lost control.

It was like lava was pumping from her heart instead of blood; like something deep inside in her body was turning, pouring more lava into her system. A deep, rumbling voice in the back of her told her what was happening – the seal had finally broken. It should have broken a long time ago, maybe when Lucia first started to visit her, but he had stopped it by tripling her seal. When all of that broke, the Etherion had begun to pour from her body at an uncontrollable rate.

Haru's words must have been what had began to get a grip on it. Something, his voice she guessed, had suddenly empowered her – made it possible to grasp onto the power and direct it somewhere else.

And kill Lucia.

"_Elie…the nurses said that you can hear when people talk to you, so, I guess I wanted to give it a try. You nearly destroyed Garage Island, did you know that? I mean, even the people down in town saw what you did – Cattleya said she could even hear you. But, you know what? None of em' were angry at you! Sieg explained, leaving out a lot of details, what happened and they were just like 'oh…OK!"_

Elie wanted to laugh with him, to joke about how she was going to face the people at school – how she would face _Sieg_! But something was blocking her, making speech, vision, and movement impossible.

"_It's been a month since I found you…all of us have recovered – even you have. Julia and this nurse, Belnika, cut your hair so it's even; you can cut it again if you want when you wake up. Musica's got this wicked scar on his chest – looks like someone took an X shaped knife and just…pierced him! I got a bunch of scars too, but none of em' are cooler than that."_

Again, Elie wanted to laugh. She wanted to listen more closely to his story, but she couldn't. _This is really getting annoying_.

"_God, Elie, I missed seeing you. Do you remember when I found you in the cave? Lucia had you brainwashed or somethin'! Oh, by the way…no one can find Lucia. Sieg even tried to track the Sinclairs, but…nothing. Etherion destroyed all traces of him, I guess. I know that might not sound very good to you, but just think of it this way – it wasn't you. It was Etherion."_

Elie had never even thought of it that way. It was Etherion that killed Lucia…not her. Her hands were still bloody, but it would appear as though some of it washed off. The haze around her seemed to lighten, though still not enough to do anything.

_Will I ever be free…?_

* * *

It was pitiful, seeing Elie just lying there like that. The color had returned to her skin, and the bruises had all vanished, but he was still worried – one month, and no sign of waking up. Haru had, true to his word, stayed by her side the entire time. For the sponge baths came, he stayed right there in the chair, waiting for her to come back. The only time he left was when Cattleya came and brought him a change of clothes for the day, and he went to shower.

It had been a nurse who had become friends with them all that had him sitting here, talking to her. "If you two truly have an inseparable bond, try talking to her. Even if she doesn't wake up, she'll hear you at the very least," she had said kindly, all smiles. Haru had nodded, and waited patiently for her to leave before he began – this would most likely get personal.

"There's something I've wanted to tell you for a really long time…longer than Lucia had you chained to that damned wall even. But, I want to see your expression when you hear it, so I'm not saying it until you wake up. That'll be our deal – you wake up and I tell you," he said then, laughing.

He talked for a while longer, telling her about Shiba, and even introducing Plue, who hadn't left his side since he had appeared next to him on the way down to the town. "Pu-pun?" he asked now, sitting on the bed next to Elie's waist. Haru paused in his talking to glance at the strange creature. The dog was pointing at Elie's eyes, and Haru turned slowly to see what he was staring at.

Slowly, very slowly, her head was moving, and her eyes had tightened. A soft groan was escaping from her lips, and Haru felt his heart race at the sound of it, "Elie…?" he whispered, jumping from the plastic chair to get closer. Just like in the cave, she reacted immediately to the sound of her name; eyes snapping open and darting around curiously.

"Where…am I?" Elie groaned softly, blinking against the light. Haru smiled, his hand finding hers and squeezing it gently. Instinctively, Elie flinched, her hand trying to pull free from his, though he did not slacken his grip. Her eyes found her hand, and then trailed up his arm and landing on his eyes, "Haru?" she whispered in disbelief

"I'm right here, Elie," he whispered, smiling wider. "Elie, what can you remember?" He hated to ask, to make her relive it all, but he had to. He needed to know if she remembered Etherion, what Lucia had told her.

He needed to know if she still believed that Lucia owned her. "I…remember the light…and you. You got stabbed…by Lucia," she said slowly, frowning deeply. "He…he kept me there…in the d-dark. For…for how long?"

"Nine months," Haru prompted, squeezing her hand.

Elie nodded slowly, "And he…he…" she tried to say, tears clouding her eyes, "You saved me?" she said, changing her words quickly. Haru nodded again, his throat tightening. "And you…you…" she said, trying to recall.

Just as she said 'you kissed me?' Haru said, 'I kissed you'.

An awkward silence settled over the two, but Haru did not look away. "Yeah, I did. And I'm not taking it back either," he whispered, laughing as her face filled with color. Just as he was about to speak, she lifted her free hand and lightly punched him.

"You should ask before you do perverted things like that, Haru," she mumbled, still blushing. Haru laughed again, shrugging. "Where is everyone anyways?"

Haru couldn't help but notice just how quickly her strength was returning now that she was out of that cave, out of Lucia's brainwashing. "Musica, Let, and Julia are all trying to reapply for some college, Cattleya's discussing our senior year with the Principal, and Sieg is working on keeping away the reporters," he explained, ticking off the names from his fingers.

"Reporters?"

The silver haired teenager nodded, "I guess word that you went missing for nine months spread to the world right after you got caught. People have been following your story the entire time, searching everywhere for you…Sieg had a real job keeping them away from Garage Island, he said. You've had like…a million letters from people who followed the story on TV, but I asked them to just burn em'. You've been through enough as it is."

Elie nodded gratefully. "Yeah, I kinda like being able to use my arms again – wouldn't want them to get all sore because I opened too many letters or anything," she said sarcastically. Haru laughed, feeling giddier than he had when he had found her. It was amazing, he decided, that the two of them could simply step right back into place after all of this…

"Elie," he said seriously, looking down, "I know this might be hard for you, but if you don't tell me everything that Lucia said…did…told you, _anything_, it'll only get worse." Elie silenced, and Haru noticed that her face had gone pale. "I'll keep anyone out that you don't want to tell, especially the –"

"Let, Musica, Julia, Sieg, and you. That's who needs to be here," she interrupted, shaking her head. "Haru, please…go get them. All four of them, and then I'll talk. Promise." When she said this, a smile broke out on her face.

Haru gave her a look that clearly said he wasn't going anywhere. "Sieg'll be here soon…I'll tell him to go and get the others," he said firmly. Elie sighed, leaning back against her pillows. "Can you remember what I was saying? Right before you woke up, I mean," he asked suddenly, going red. Elie stared at him, shaking her head slowly. "Oh, uh, well, I said that I had something real important to tell you…" Haru swallowed – this would've been easier to say to any other girl, but not Elie. "And that when you woke up, I'd tell you."

Elie continued to stare at him, her eyes not moving from his once, "I'm awake now," she said, smirking, "so tell me." Haru swallowed again – this really might just be the hardest thing he had ever done in his life.

"Er, right. Well, um…" he started to say, blushing even more as Elie started to laugh. "Ireallyreallylikeyou!" he blurted out, releasing her hand and jumping up. Her laughter stopped instantly, and she stared at him as he turned away to pace. "Elie, do you remember our junior year, when I asked you what kind of guy you were in to?"

The teenager took her sweet time remembering, much to Haru's annoyance. "Yeah, that was the day that we made plans to go the mainland," she recalled.

"Exactly! Well, I sorta realized that maybe…I dunno, I realized that…when I was telling Celia what sort of girl _I_ was into, I was kinda…describing you. And it got me thinking, and…er, I guess what I'm trying to say is, um…I really like you. More," he said, turning around suddenly, "than just a best friend! I mean, I still totally like you like a best friend – because you're the best friend I've ever had – but I just…I like you _more_ than that."

Elie stared at him blankly, as though she couldn't quite believe her ears. Haru stared back, feeling hot and stupid and rejected all at once. He stared into those brown eyes he had longed for so hard, for so long, and tried to see her thoughts. Maybe she was thinking of a good way to turn him down? To politely tell him that, after everything Lucia had done to her, she could never love. Ever.

"That's good, then," she said softly, smiling now, "because I've felt the same way about you ever since." Haru gasped, sinking into a chair shakily. She smiled, and nodding gently. "You know, the entire time I was chained to that wall," she started to say, pausing to take a deep breath, "I begged Lucia for a lot of things…freedom, to be able to see…answers as to why _I_ was the one chained to a damn wall and not some other girl…but never, not once, did I ever beg him to kill me. Not even after…after…"

Before she could continue, Haru reached forward and did what seemed like the most natural thing in the world – he grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently, cutting her off. "Don't. They aren't here yet," he whispered, "I get it. Elie, I…I love you."

Chocolate brown stared straight into light purple, a mix of different feelings floating around the air. "I love you too, Haru," she whispered, blushing wildly. Haru grinned, sighing in relief. Elie laughed, leaning back against the pillows again, "God, I love being able to see."

"I love being able to freakin' laugh! Man, I have _loads_ to tell you!" Haru said, and without any prompting, he launched into his story of the past ten months, still gripping her hand the entire time. Even when Sieg entered the room did he talk, not willing the foster father a chance to even hug Elie while he spoke.

~**~

"You ready?" Julia asked softly, tossing back a sheet of blond hair. Elie took a deep breath, glancing back at the crowd on the beach. "Don't look back, Elie. We gotta keep on movin' forwards," Julia said, leaning against the edge of the boat.

Everyone but Elie was on board a large ship, waiting for her to step on so they could leave. Tears were stinging in her eyes as she finally caught sight of Sieg, who was standing off to the distance, arms crossed against his chest and watching her. "One second!" she called, holding a finger. From the boat, several people groaned, but allowed her to run forward and throw her arms around him.

Sieg laughed, hugging her back gently, "Tell Haru that if he hurts you, I'll find him and kick his ass," he whispered in her ear. Elie laughed, wiping her eyes and pulling away. "Write to me if you need me, Elie." Elie nodded, turning and running back to the boat.

This time, Haru was waiting for her at the bottom, Plue atop his head, "You always did take forever sayin' goodbye to that old fart," he muttered, holding out a hand. Elie laughed, grabbing it and stepping forward. "We'll be back, you know. You don't have to say goodbye or anything."

Elie nodded again, "I know. But, you knows when we'll be back," she said, following him up the ramp to the boat. "And it isn't like I spent a lot of time with him – a year with him, ten months away, and now four months later, I'm off again."

"Elie," Musica said, throwing an arm around her when she reached the top, "you'll spend a shit load more time with him, when we get back."

The girl looked back out, dimly hearing Haru call to the captain – Shuda – to shove off. The boat was moving away at an incredibly face pace, though Elie continued to stare at the people on the beach. Musica laughed, pulling her into a sideways hug. "Aw, come on and cheer up, Elie!" Haru called from behind them.

Elie turned to Haru, nodding slowly. Without warning, she flung herself from Musica and caught herself on the railing, waving her arm wildly. "We'll be back, OK!?" she screamed to the tiny dots that were people. "I promise!" As expected, no one answered, but Haru stepped forward and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"Damn right we will," Musica said from behind them, lighting a cigarette. Elie laughed, grinning up at Haru cheerfully. The three stood like that for a while, watching as the island they had lived at sunk deeper and deeper into the horizon.

For Elie, this really was goodbye. If she managed to successfully protect herself, and learn to control Etherion, she wouldn't come back the same person. Though, she had already changed, so maybe it was for the better. "Whatever's comin," Haru said, interrupting her thoughts, "we can take it." Elie stared up at him, blinking in confusion – had she spoken out loud? "And if worst comes to worst, I'll make sure to protect you."

From behind them, several people scoffed, and the couple whipped around in confusion, "You think she'll need protection? Yeah, right," Julia said, leaning against the cabin. Let was next to her, arms crossed as always; Musica was where he had been before Let and Julia entered. Elie laughed, nodding happily.

"That's right! When I learn how to control Etherion, you'll really be in trouble, Haru!" she said, sticking out her tongue. Haru laughed, leaning against the railing, shrugging.

"I think I can hold my own," he muttered, crossing his arms. Elie rolled her eyes, placing her hands on her hips. "Either way, we still gotta take down Demon Card, don't we? Sieg said somethin' about Four Demon Lords…"

Julia and Let nodded, but Elie shrugged. "I don't care about _what_ or _how_ we do something, you know," she said, laughing, "As long as the five of us are together while we do it, I'll be happy!"

The others exchanged a look. "Damn right!" Julia cried, laughing.

Elie gazed between her friends for a little bit, feeling her heart swell. What she was really saying, as long as she never had to endure the never ending darkness, she'd be happy. Her eyes fell on Haru and she watched him lean over the edge and stare back out at the speck that was Garage Island. _As long as I'm with these guys…I can take anything_!

~x~

Author's Note: FINISHED. =D What did you guys think?! Good, bad? Delete? Keep? PLEASE REVIEW. I hate having to ask that, but I reaaaally want to know what you guys think about how I pulled this all off. (: YES, this is the final chapter, but there's going to be a smaller one added sort of as a back story.  
THANKS YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE THAT READ THIS FROM THE GETGO.  
Love,

E x p e r i m e n t .3137.  
(:


	10. A Word From E x p e r i m e n t 3173

So, I've decided to try out this new idea - after every story, I'm going to throw in the backstory as to how this story came about!

OK, for everyone who hasn't figured this out, I stole the title from an AMAZING song that I was listening to during my exam week, just when I started to post on this account.**  
Song Title:** Falling Away**  
Artist/Band:** Amber Pacific**  
Lyrics:**

_"I'm on my last breath  
who'd have thought it'd be me  
I'm leaving behind  
love  
life  
family  
I'll say these last words I'll fight the pain from within  
the bleeding won't stop  
I'll stop to take this all in_

When it comes down to this  
A scene that we've seen before (A scene that we've seen before)  
I won't let you go  
I won't stand to watch  
as these walls start  
to fall apart

I'm falling away  
Away from your arms  
that kept me so close  
to the things that I love  
I'm holding it back  
take me back to your heart  
A place to remember  
I'll always be yours

The warmth from your hands  
as they hold me so close  
I'm losing this fight  
now I need you the most  
I'll wait for the time  
though my days running thin  
I'll count down the clock  
I'll stop to take this all in

When it comes down to this  
A scene that we've seen before (A scene that we've seen before)  
I won't let you go  
I won't stand to watch  
as these walls start  
to fall apart

I'm falling away  
Away from your arms  
that kept me so close  
to the things that I love  
I'm holding it back  
take me back to your heart  
A place to remember  
I'll always be yours

I'm falling away  
Away from your arms  
that kept me so close  
to the things that I love  
I'm holding it back  
take me back to your heart  
A place to remember  
I'll always be yours

A place to remember  
I'll always be yours"

It's up to you whether or not the lyrics fit the story~

Alright, the reason I started writing Falling Away was because well...it was originally just going to be all AU, but then when I was writing it, I was like, 'Wow, it would be kinda cool if Lucia swooped in and stole Elie away...but why would he do that if she doesn't have Etherion?!' Hence how she magically gained Etherion.

Also, I felt REALLY bad about how I made Elie's life turn out. D: Over thirty families in seventeen years...that's harsh. But, like I said, the plan was to make her life as bad as if she HAD Etherion, since she didn't originally have it. And when she did get it, it just sorta stuck.

Yeah, I left Gale and King outta of the picture. Well, they both died before Haru got a chance to meet em'. Sorry for any Gale/King fans.

Well, what did you guys think of this story? I'm fairly proud of it, but there are some iffy spots..."/ Just tell me what you guys think, OK~

Again, thanks SO MUCH for reading~ I'll update other stories as soon as I can~~  
(Btw, if I die before I can upload the second chapter of The Letdown, blame the immense storm heading way and my city's inability to cope with snow. x3)


End file.
